


Love to Hate You

by LiteraryLady



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Love/Hate, Online Dating, Sexual Tension, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-01-10 23:42:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12310347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteraryLady/pseuds/LiteraryLady
Summary: Bog and Marianne are roommates in college, and they hate each other. Little did they know that they know each other online.What happens when the two realize that the one they hate is also the one they love?





	1. Meet and Hate

**Author's Note:**

> [Bog and Marianne meet for the first time. They don't like each other.]  
> Note: Bog's looks are based on this lovely image:  
> https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a8/d8/9c/a8d89c9222d3294414972651d2773232.jpg

Their hands met, reaching for the same book.

"Sorry," she said.  
"S'cuse me," he said.  
"I just need-"  
"Just need to-"

They grabbed for the same book again.

Then they looked at each other for the first time.

Marianne looked at this tall, probably lanky, guy.  
He was probably a good foot taller than her. Maybe a foot and a half.  
He practically loomed over her.  
Torn denim jeans, dark shirt, leather jacket.  
He had a nice amber necklace though.  
_Real tough guy_ , she mocked in her head.

She looked up at his face.  
He looked so gaunt with his long jaw and high cheekbones.  
A few scars that marred his face were hidden by his five o'clock shadow.  
His dark hair was slicked back and his blue eyes practically pierced her.

She realized a little too late that she might have been staring after he leered at her.  
"Why don't you just take a picture?" he barked at her.  
"Sorry, I'm sorry!" she said.

Bog didn't mean to snap at her. He just didn't like people staring at him.  
He wasn't some kind of freak show.  
Even though he _was_ ugly.

He glared back at the... mousey woman before her.  
She was short. Much like everyone else. But also petite, he supposed.  
Long brown hair, light pink cardigan, long flowy dress.  
She had a nice face, at least, for a plain jane.  
_Total girly girl_ , he thought with a grimace.

Marianne tucked some hair behind her ear and shyly looked back up at him.  
"Um, I really need that book," she said while pointing with her free hand.  
"Well, what a coincidence," he said. "I also _really_ need that book."  
She noted his Scottish accent and pegged him as a foreigner.

They both glanced at the bookshelf.

It was the last one.

"Which class do you need this for?" she asked looking back towards him, but away from his face.  
"College Algebra 334 with Mr. Portley," he said.  
"Well, we don't have the same class," she sighed.

When neither one of them let go of the book they narrowed their eyes at each other.

"Only one of us can get the book," she said as she squared her shoulders.  
"Yep," he said as he loomed a little closer to her.  
"How about we Rock, Paper, Scissors for it?" she suggested.  
He quirked an eyebrow and grinned.  
"Best two out of three?" he said.  
She returned with a smirk of her own.  
"Sounds good to me."

They let go of the book at the same time.

Marianne placed her fist in her palm as Bog did the same.  
"One, two, three, shoot," they said in unison.  
They tied with rock.  
"One, two, three, shoot."  
Another tie with paper.

They tied another five times before Bog stopped.  
"At this rate, we're going to be stuck here forever," he said.  
Marianne gave him a smirk.  
"What, afraid you'll lose?"  
He quirked an eyebrow at her.  
"Is that a challenge?" He gave her a toothy grin and placed his fist in his palm.

"How about the next person to win get's the book?" He suggested.  
"You're on!"

They kept at it for another minute until Marianne won.  
"Yes!" she cheered. "In your face!"  
She put her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow.  
"Although, I can say you were a worthy opponent. I'm now going to take my-"

She turned to find the book was gone.

"What?!" she yelled a little too loudly and the few people in the bookstore glanced over at her.  
Bog glanced around and found who had taken their book.  
"Looks like that guy over just bought it."

Marianne had to stand on her tiptoes and craned her neck over the bookshelves to see a scrawny, pale guy with a white beanie leave the campus bookstore with the book she rightfully won.

"Ugh!" Marianne groaned as she dragged her hands down her face. "... so unfair..." she mumbled as she slumped, a little defeated.  
"Well, I'm sorry to upset you, _princess_ ," he said, "But life's not fair."  
She whipped her head back to him.  
"I know that you..." She began to say. She bit her tongue before she said anything she would regret, and gave him the sourest look she could give.  
His grim facade broke out into a grin and chuckled.

She turned and stomped away from him and went to wait in line to buy everything else she needed.  
  
As soon as she stood in line she could feel the presence of that jerk standing behind her.  
It made her more and more annoyed as she inched closer to the front of the line.

"Hi," The cashier greeted. "Did you find everything you were looking for?"

"Hi," Marianne gave her one of her better fake smiles. "No actually. I wasn't able to get the College Algebra volume nine. Do you know when you'll have it back in stock?"

"We get a delivery truck every Thursday. Might I suggest you pre-order?"

"How much?"

The cashier searched a bit on the computer before turning back to her and said, "For new, with the Course Code pin number, it's one hundred and thirty-five dollars."

"What?" Marianne paled.

"Yeah, new textbook prices suck." The cashier gave her a sympathetic glance. The cashier leaned in and whispered, "You didn't hear this from me, but you can rent your textbooks at a much lower cost."

Marianne nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Marianne bought her things, along with a few snacks that she could binge eat her anger away later.

***  
Marianne was the first to move into their new dorm room. It was small, yet cozy. Two beds, two end tables, and two desks that mirrored each other. Their room was on the second floor, but thankfully the place had an elevator.

"Are you sure this is all you'll need?" her father said as he placed the last of the boxes down.  
"I'm sure Dad," she said as she opened the topmost box on her bed. "We've been over this a million times."  
Her sister, Dawn, had already unpacked and started hanging fairy lights in her corner of the room.  
"If you need anything else-" her father began.  
"I'll be sure to call you," she finished.  
"Or use my credit card," he said.

She stopped rummaging through the box and turned to him.  
"Dad, we've been over this," she said firmly. "I want to do this all on my own."

Even though her father had more than enough money to afford her college tuition, she was adamant in doing things her way. Spending countless hours applying for scholarships, applying for financial aid, even taking that summer job to save up some extra money.

Her father let out a defeated sigh.  
"Be sure to call home often," he said as he nodded.  
She gave him a small smile.  
"I will," she said.  
"Yeah," Dawn interjected. "Be sure to text me pics of all the cute boys you see around the campus!"  
Marianne saw her father pale slightly and she laughed.  
"I'll be sure to keep you all updated. And I'll be sure to come visit during the holidays."

Her father smiled warmly at her and wrapped her into a tight embrace.  
"Your mother would have been so proud of you as I am today."  
His words struck a chord in her and Marianne had to blink back her welling tears.  
Dawn joined in their hug and Marianne barked a shuddery laugh as she tried not to cry.  
She wiped away her tears quickly as they let go of their embrace. Her father, similarly, wiped away his own.

"I'll talk to you guys later tonight okay?" She said while giving her father a small semblance of a smile.  
Dawn's infinite optimism never wavered as she beamed at her sister.  
"I'll be waiting," Dawn said. "Send me a pic when you finish decorating."  
"I will," she nodded as she watched them leave.

They waved goodbye as her father shut the door behind them.

Now it was just her, and her soon to be roommate.

The campus housing was co-ed and she ended up with some random guy because she had sent her housing papers in at the last minute. She didn't know much about her new roommate except for his name and that he was a freshman just like her.

Her father would faint if he knew that she was rooming with some random guy instead of Roland.

She lovingly touched her engagement ring and smiled.

Well, even if she wasn't able to room with her fiancee, that was okay! She would still be able to see him around campus and have lunch together or something.

Besides, Roland had said they needed to focus on their studies anyway. They would have plenty of time to spend together after they got married.

If only she had the textbook she needed.  
She frowned remembering that giant jerk had made her lose her chance to have everything she needed. Her classes started tomorrow and she really wanted to skim over the first few chapters.

She decided to unpack and straighten her side of the room instead.

  
An hour had passed when there was a knock on the door.  
"Come on in," she called out as she just finished straightening her bedsheets.  
"A little help?" she heard from the other side of the door.  
She jumped a little and rushed over to the door.  
"Oh, of course."

She opened the door and a pile of boxes walked in.

The guy behind the boxes was at least a foot shorter than Marianne. Three boxes were stacked haphazardously on top of each other.  
When he looked towards her, his glasses made his green eyes appear huge.

 _He seems like a nice guy_ , she thought.

The small guy gave her a toothy smile.  
"Oh, hi! I'm Theodore. But you can call me Thang," he said as he almost dropped the box trying to shake her hand. Marianne stopped the topmost box from falling on top of her head.

_Oh, he wasn't her roommate._

She took the top box from his pile and Thang sighed in relief.  
"Thanks," he said, "These boxes are heavier than I realized."  
The box Marianne held was lighter than a feather.  
"No problem," she said dryly.

"Where do you want me to put this B.K.?" Thang called out to the hall.  
"Near the desk," she heard his reply.  
"You got it, Boss."

Marianne helped Thang place the boxes next to the desk.

"Marianne Fairfields?" she heard from the doorway.

She smoothed out her dress, smiled, and turned.  
"Yes, are you-"  
She stopped to see the guy from the bookstore.  
"You!" she said accusingly.  
"Yes, me..." he said with a lopsided grin. He unloaded the stack of boxes next to his bed.  
He wiped his hands on his pants and offered one out to her.  
"Broehain King. But please, call me Bog," He said. His rough Scottish accent sounding sincere. "Nice to meet ya."

She warily gave him another once over.  
No longer wearing his leather jacket, she took note of his rather lean, but noticeable muscles.  
From wrist to shoulder, he was covered in an intricate, almost tribal or Celtic pattern. Dark thorns and leaves wove throughout the sharp striped pattern that traveled up his arm to his shoulder almost like it was his armor.

Marianne cradled her hands close to herself.  
"Likewise," she said.

He dropped his hand and let out a slight laugh.  
"Oh, c'mon. Ye're not still bitter about the book are ya?"  
Her brow twitched upwards ever so slightly.  
"Maybe," she hinted.  
He crossed his arms and gave her a hard stare.  
"Well, either way," he said with a scowl. "We're stuck together. So we should make the most of it."  
Marianne narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't argue.  
  
He was right, but she didn't want to admit it to his face.

Bog's brow furrowed at her stubbornness. He wasn't sure if he should admire her for it, or try to knock her down a peg.

They both jumped when Thang pipped in.  
"Well, it was great meeting you Marianne!" He shook her hand properly this time.  
"If you need me, I live in room one twenty-two."

Marianne blinked a few times before she registered Thang shaking her hand.  
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."  
"You're welcome," he said with a beaming grin as he let go and made his way towards the door.

Just before Thang reached the door he quickly turned back towards the two of them.  
"Oh Bog, did you need any more help?"  
Bog glanced around his area before looking back to Thang.  
"Um. No, I'm good," he said.  
"Okay then! See ya!" Thang said before closing the door behind him.

When the door shut Marianne and Bog hesitantly exchanged glances.  
"Well," he said stiffly, "might as well get to unpacking." And turned to the piles of boxes near his bed.

Marianne nodded slowly and went to her corner of the room, grabbing her textbooks, and got comfortable on her bed.  
If she couldn't study her first class, she would at least get a start on the rest of them.

She wasn't halfway into her first chapter when she jumped at the sound of heavy metal music blaring through Bog's laptop speakers. She glanced at Bog as he bobbed his head to the music, sorting through the mess of a pile on his bed.

"Don't you have headphones?" she loudly said over the wailing music.  
He waved a hand to the remaining piles of boxes as leaned over and turned down the volume slightly on his laptop.

His taste in music wasn't too bad, she thought.  
Just... very distracting. And loud.

When she realized she was reading the same sentence for the fifth time she groaned and pushed her books aside.

She hoped this wasn't going to be an everyday thing.  
  
She decided relaxing on her laptop would be a better idea.

Venting to her online friends seemed like a good thing to do.  
She opened her messenger. DarkGoblin wasn't on, but she felt he would understand the most out of all her friends.  
  
     [LightQueen: Just finished moving into my dorm.]

Marianne glanced behind her and glared at Bog as he was rummaging through another box.  
  
     [My roommate is a total jerk though.]

She minimized the screen and hoped he would be online later. He had said he was moving as well. But she didn't want to pry. Fishing for her earbuds, she went to listen to her own, much happier, music and surf the web.

**  
Bog flopped onto his desk chair after he finished organizing into some semblance of a room. Mostly, he just piled his clothing in one corner, somewhat made his bed, and unpacked most of his electronics on his desk.  
  
He'd decorate the rest of the room later.  
  
He glanced at Marianne's side of the room and wondered how someone can live with so much pink.  
He smirked at the idea of converting her to 'the dark side'. He'd probably give her something black colored as a gag gift.

He turned his head and groaned in satisfaction as his neck cracked. Easing some of the tension from his broad shoulders.  
He cracked open his laptop and surfed the web. Maybe talk to a few of his online friends.  
Noticing he received a message, he opened the inbox and grinned when he saw was it was a message from LightQueen.

     [LightQueen: Just finished moving into my dorm. My roommate is a total jerk though.]

He grimaced and thought about his own roommate. He didn't quite hate her, she was entertaining at least, but he felt she was definitely going to get on his nerves.

He went back to his keyboard and typed her a reply.

     [DarkGoblin: Well, that sucks.]  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write this story after reading a writing prompt on pinterest or tumblr and I just /had/ to write it!  
> My other story Strangely Ever After will continue shortly, but this current story just seems soooo good....  
> Enjoy! Kudos! and Comment!


	2. Catching up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog and Marianne talk online.

They had originally met on a forum for the popular game 'Realm of Faircraft' a few years ago. Arguing about war tactics or something. She couldn't remember.

They were on opposing factions in-game and she loved to find him and try to beat his character to a pulp.  
Although, most of the time they ended in stalemates, or just gave up because they went at it for over two hours with no real progress.

Over time, what had started as bickering turned into a mutual friendship. Bantering back and forth like old friends. Trying to best each other any way they could.

They challenged each other to become better. And that's what she liked.

Even though they have never met in person, know each other's name, or know what the other looks like, they enjoy each other's company.

Although, now that she doesn't have the time to play games as often because of school, she still pops in to talk to her friends.

Like right now.

Marianne lit up when she received a reply from DarkGoblin.

> [DarkGoblin: Well, that sucks.]  
>  [LightQueen: Yeah.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Maybe you and your roommate can find a way to get along?]

She glanced over her shoulder to see Bog's large frame eclipsing the light of the laptop. Making him look like some holy wraith.

> [LightQueen: Yeah, I hope so.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Besides, you need to focus on your studies if you want to outsmart me!]  
>  [LightQueen: Ha! As if! I'm already smarter than you and you know it.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Says the one who's going to college...]

Bog didn't want to admit to LightQueen that he was also going to college at this time, let alone tell her his major, or else he wouldn't hear the end of it.  
So instead he wrote a few more quips and teased her a bit more.

> [DarkGoblin: So what's miss smartypants going to be learning?]  
>  [LightQueen: I'll have you know that this SmartyPants is majoring in Business.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Well, I wasn't quite expecting that. Maybe a major in history or political  
>  science.]  
>  [LightQueen: Yeah, no. I'm actually going to be taking over my father's business after  
>  he retires.]

Bog nodded to himself. Her cause was similar to his. Although he was going to college to take care of his family's land.  
And maybe have a little fun while he still could.

> [DarkGoblin: So what's daddy's business?]  
>  [LightQueen: If I told you, I'd have to kill you afterwards ;3 ]  
>  [DarkGoblin: You can kill me all you want in Faircraft ;) ]  
>  [LightQueen: Die Goblin scum!!!]  
>  [LightQueen: Ha ha, But really. I can't go around telling everyone I'm an heiress to a  
>  multi-million dollar company.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: My lips are sealed.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Really? Multimil? *low whistle*]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Is your father paying for school?]  
>  [LightQueen: Yep, multmillion. And no, I'm doing this all on my own.]

Bog had to wrap his mind around this for a moment. He admired her for wanting to do things on her own, he was the same way.

> [DarkGoblin: So, let me see if I can get this straight...  
>  You, a multimillion heir, is going to college (probably some high-end university) with  
>  your own money, so you don't have to take and use his money that you're going to  
>  inherit anyway?]

Marianne pursed her lips. He can be so perceptive sometimes it was infuriating.

> [LightQueen: I'll have you know that I'm in a fairly /moderate/ university tucked away  
>  in some corner of New England.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Hope you brought a couple of winter coats.]  
>  [LightQueen: Oh, I think I can handle a little snow.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Ha, you say that now... Just you wait.]

They talked for the rest of the evening about other topics. Like whether pineapple belonged on a pizza and whether there was going to be an actually good reboot of something from their childhoods. Even sharing the occasional cat video.

Marianne stretched and smiled, it felt good to talk to her friends.  
She looked out the window above her bed and realized it was already dark out. Glancing at the clock on her laptop, it was almost midnight.

> [LightQueen: It's getting late, I'll talk to you later. Need to get my beauty sleep.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Have a good night, /Princess/ :) ]  
>  [LightQueen: That's queen to you!]

Marianne smirked as she closed the web browser and glanced at Bog, who was still on his laptop wearing giant headphones. How could he work in the dark like that?  
Turning on the small lamp that came with her desk, it flickered to life to reveal what kind of roommate Bog was going to be.  
Dark clothing stacked in a corner, a few boxes still unopened. His desk was cluttered with various junk.  
How could he work in that?!

She realized she should have bought a curtain or a room divider of some kind.

Getting up, she pulled the canvas shelf from under her bed and grabbed her nightshirt and her toiletry bag and went into the girl's bathroom to get ready for bed.

When she came back Bog was still on his laptop, still wearing his headphones.

"Don't stay up too late," she said to Bog before she turned off her lamp and crawled into bed for the night.


	3. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of school isn't that great for Marianne. But at least she makes a friend

Marianne sat, frowning and bored out of her mind in her first class, resting her head in her hands.  
Her first day wasn't going well.

First, she had woken up groggy due to staying up late and Bog deciding to stay up later.

When she had finally gotten up to get ready, the bathrooms were so crowded that she had to wait a good fifteen minutes before she could quickly shower, change, and brush her teeth. Not even having time to straighten her hair or do her makeup, leaving her to having to pull her hair into a messy bun.

The cafeteria was just as crowded, and her food credits weren't loaded yet, so she had to pay to enter with her debit card.  
The food was okay. Although, by the time she had got to what she wanted, there were slim pickings. She had ended up opting for a bowl of cereal, some toast, and two cups of coffee.

So now, there she sat this miserable morning, in her math class with a middle-aged, balding professor whose droning voice might have been able to put her to sleep if she hadn't downed her two cups of coffee.

When the professor finished reviewing the syllabus and began the first lesson Marianne sighed quietly in frustration.  
She would have had the textbook if her jerk of a roommate had been a gentleman and let her have it.  
But, then again, he's in the same boat.

Marianne glanced at the guy sitting next to her who had his textbook out scribbling down notes.  
He looked young, his rounded face and freckles on his dark skin gave him a childlike appearance. If he didn't have the small soul patch, she would have said that he was more than five years younger.  
His black hair was woven into many small braids, pulled into a low ponytail. Topped with a red beanie with a small mushroom patch.

"Hey," she whispered, tapping on the table. "Would you mind sharing your book?"

He jumped a little at her question. His light brown eyes wide, staring at her briefly before blinking and relaxing a little.

"Yeah, um, sure," he stammered, sliding over the book for both of them to read.  
"Thanks," she said, offering her hand. "Marianne, business major."  
He smiled and shook her hand.  
"Sunny, music and dance."

***  
After their mind-numbing class ended and the students started to disperse, Marianne turned to Sunny as she finished putting on her backpack.  
"Hey, thanks for letting me look at your book."  
Sunny looked up and smiled.  
"No problem man. Anytime."

As he stood up, Marianne was a little surprised that he was quite short. The top of his head reaching the middle of her bicep.

"It sucks I won't have a textbook to study. At least I can do my homework online," she said as they exited the classroom and walked down the hallway.  
"Are you a freshman?" he asked.  
"Yep," she admitted with a slight blush rising to her cheeks, "It's my first week actually."  
Sunny nodded.  
"Figured as much," he said. "You can borrow a textbook in the library. Although, the textbook can't leave the library."  
Marianne nodded.  
"Oh, that's good to know. Thanks."

They stopped mid-hallway and Sunny looked a little hesitant to leave.  
"You know," he said, rocking on his heels. "You seem to be pretty good at math. I'm not that good. So, maybe we could team up and study together?"

"Sure," she said, whipping out her phone. "What times are you free?"  
Sunny blinked a little in surprise.  
"Oh, I got another class after this. But I'm free after two."  
"Okay. Here, let's exchange numbers and I'll text you when I'm free."

They exchanged phone numbers and went their separate ways. Marianne waved Sunny goodbye as he went down one hallway and she went outside. She smiled at the fact that she made a new friend.

Remembering that she texted Roland this morning she checked her messages.  
'How's your first day going?' she had written.

Still no reply.

But her sister sent her a text.

      _'How's your first day?!?!?!?!?!!!!!_  
_Any cute/hot guys???'_  
Marianne smiled.  
      _'My first day could have been better, but I just made a new friend.'_  
Dawn replied immediately.  
      _'WHOOT! Awesome!_  
_Is it a guy???'_  
Marianne had to smirk. Of course she had to ask that.  
      _'Yes, it's a guy. His name is Sunny...'_

She ignored whatever her sister sent her and checked her phone one more time for a reply from Roland before she put her phone dejectedly in her back pocket and walked to her next class.

***  
Her next class, Introduction to Business, was much like the last. An introduction to the class, going over the syllabus, and then a lecture.  
She was glad she had her textbook this time. Although, she mostly took a lot of notes.

She glanced at her phone again, hoping Roland would reply to her soon as she walked the well-worn dirt path back to her dormitory.

When she entered her room, she was somewhat surprised to see that Bog was still asleep. The sound of his relaxed breathing, interrupted by the occasional snore.

Didn't he have class or something?

She placed her wallet and keys on her desk and dropping her bag on her side of the room before carefully crossed over to his. Treading as if the wrong move would set off an alarm.

"Hey," she said, hesitantly nudging the lumpy bundle with her foot.  
She pulled back as he mumbled something incoherent and covered his head with his comforter.  
She rolled her eyes as it reminded her of Dawn when they were young.

She wondered if Bog had any siblings.

Gently peeling the top of the comforter and speaking into the darkness.  
"You know that it's almost noon right?" she said.  
She heard a muffled groan.  
"No class until tonight," he mumbled as he crawled out from under the comforter.  
With a yawn, he sat up and stretched, pushing off the comforter, Marianne quickly turned away and muffled a surprised squeak.

_He was shirtless!_

An unfamiliar heat pooled in her gut as her face heated up.  
She hoped he wasn't pantless either.

Well, it wasn't like she hasn't seen a nearly naked man before.  
Just... Not one that she wasn't expecting.  
Yes, she was just shocked to see her new roommate almost completely naked.

Bog must have noticed her discomfort.  
"Relax, I'm only shirtless," she heard him say with a hint of a smile.

It still didn't help the awkwardness.  
Or with sorting out these new feelings.  
Or calming her pounding heart.  
Or cooling off her burning face.

As if a godsend, her phone buzzed in her back pocket and she whipped it out faster than she thought was humanly possible.

It was from Roland.

She mentally thanked any and all gods that were helping her at this moment.

She glimpsed behind her to see Bog facing away from her in dark flannel pajama bottoms pulling on a t-shirt.  
She licked her lips as she got quite a good look at how his back muscles flexed as he...  
She turned away and mentally stopped... whatever this was!

She glanced at her phone and read his reply.  
      _'Hey Buttercup, wanna grab lunch? Meet me at the cafe.'_  
She hastily texted a reply.  
      _'K see you soon!'_

"I'm off to the cafe!" she said a little loudly over her shoulder as she walked faster than normal out of their room and practically sprinted outside.

The walk to the cafeteria was a little long, as her dormitory was the furthest from the building that held the cafeteria. Inhaling the crisp fall air and admiring the changing colors of the leaves helped cleared her mind and get her mind off of... whatever happened back there. She felt herself shiver and glanced up at the overcast sky as she pulled her wool cardigan closer to herself.

She admired the architecture of the brick buildings and remembered the first time she saw them in one of many pamphlets she went through during her decision-making process.

She wanted to go to a school that would make her feel normal for a while. Even though her upbringing was anything but, living in an upscale New York town, she wanted to experience the more rustic side of life.

And what better place than in New England!

And, of course, Roland was adamant about joining her. Even proposing to her before she narrowed down her colleges, saying he'd follow her to the ends of the earth.

So there they were, going to the University of New England in Maine. Where she enrolled into business, and he into finance. _'To make the perfect pair,'_ he had said.

_'Together they'd be unstoppable.'_

There was a line to the cafeteria when she entered the building.  
_Shit_ , she thought as she patted her pockets. She forgot her wallet.  
And her keys...  
Maybe she could text Roland to lend her some money.

"Hey," the annoyingly familiar Scottish accent said behind her. "Think ya forgot something."  
He gently prodded her wallet against her back.

She turned slowly towards him and peeked a glance up at him.  
At least now he was fully dressed.  
But he really needed to shave.  
In the brief moment that they made eye contact, Marianne never realized how expressive, or how icy blue his eyes were.  
They seemed to convey to her... Hesitation? Awkwardness? Embarrassment?  
She didn't give it much thought as she quickly took her wallet back from him and mumbled a 'thank you' and moved forward in line.

Just like when at the bookstore, she could just feel his presence as he stood right behind her.  
It irked her, like the paranoid feeling of was being watched.  
Having him near made her limbs tingle and her skin feel aflame.  
She didn't know what these feelings were.  
And that was so very annoying.

Bog couldn't help but feel a little bad for making her feel uncomfortable.  
He wasn't the best looking guy. Maybe a little scary and mean.  
He did look like a thug at times.

He put his hands in his pockets and remembered he had her keys too.  
"Oh." he jangled the keys, "You forgot these too."  
  
Oh, how she looked at him when she snatched back her keys.

If looks could kill.

He couldn't help but smirk.  
She was feisty for a wee thing.  
He wondered if she was the competitive type.

As they entered the cafeteria, he watched Marianne fidget as she scanned the crowd. Seeing her face light up as she walked over to some blonde fellow who waved her over to his crowded table.  
He gave her a side hug as she kissed his cheek.

 _Ugh, love_ , he thought bitterly. _Don't they know it's a waste of time?_  
He forcefully pushed down the painful memories of his failed love life that started to bubble up.  
_It only leads to misery._

He wanted nothing more than to go over there and break their happiness. Maybe introduce himself. Spoil the mood with his ugly mug.  
  
But he saw how happy Marianne looked and thought against it as he went to go grab something to eat.

People parted away and gave him a wide berth grabbed a tray and walked over to the sandwich station. Although this wasn't unnatural for Bog to be imposing, he felt it was too early in the day for this.  
He caught a glimpse of his reflection and noticed he was scowling.  
With a sigh, he forced himself to relax.  
He'd feel better with food, he convinced himself, as he grabbed two burgers and loaded a pile of fries on his plate.

Marianne was glad to finally be away from Bog. If he had stayed close to her for another minute, she definitely she would have punched him right in the face.

Roland must have noticed she was frowning.  
"Hey. Don't you go marring that pretty face of yours," he said.  
She rubbed her forehead, releasing the tension in her face, and relaxed.  
He pushed towards her a tray with yogurt and a salad. "Don't want you to lose your lovely figure."  
He gave her one of his charming smile and a wink.  
She smiled and nodded a thank you. He was always keeping her in mind and taking care of her.

Although she really could have gone for a hamburger.  
  
She stabbed at her salad, thinking it was Bog's stupid face.

Where was Bog anyway?

She glanced and found Bog quite easily. Standing tall among the throng of people, with tray in hand, making his way towards the tables and booths.

As he scanned the tables for a seat, they locked eyes briefly and he smirked at her as she glanced away. She felt that familiar heat rising through her body and started focusing on eating her meal with a gusto.

"Whoah there, Didn't realize you were that hungry." He turned to the rest of the table. "Maybe I should have brought her _two_ salads," he joked and everyone else laughed.

Marianne glanced up and didn't even realize there were more people sitting with her and Roland.  
She recognized Roland's cousins, Thomas, Richard, and Harry who sat across from them. Although they looked like triplets, They were a year or so apart from each other.  
Actually, she remembered that Richard and Harry were twins.  
Or maybe it was Tom and Harry.  
"I told you, you should have given her a sandwich," she heard a woman say.  
Marianne glanced over to see another woman sat on the other side of Roland.  
She was fair skinned with dark brown eyes. Her medium length brown hair cascaded down in natural curls that she clipped away from her face.  
"Hi, I'm Rebecca," she said as she waved and Marianne waved back. "I'm in the same class as Roland and Harry."  
"Richard," the one in the middle corrected.  
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"So Harry, what were you saying earlier about your new roommate?" Roland asked.  
The one to the left of Richard looked up and smiled.  
"Oh yeah! So as I was saying-"

Marianne tuned out the rest of the conversation and focused on eating her meal in the comforting presence of Roland and his friends. She didn't even want to think about the word 'roommate' for the rest of the day.


	4. Study Buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne tries to get some homework done, but a certain sister gets in the way.  
> Also, Bog deals with his own family and tries to get Marianne to lighten up a little.

Marianne absentmindedly tapped her pencil on her notebook as she stared at the math problems before her on her laptop.

After lunch, she still couldn't get those weird feelings out of her system.  
It was like she was hot and feverish, and she couldn't stop seeing Bog's stupid smirk.  
And those eyes.

She bit her lip in annoyance and tapped a little faster.

Sunny noticed her mood and was reluctant to interrupt her.  
"Hey, Marianne?" he asked, "Can you help me with this?"

Marianne snapped out of her daydream.  
"Oh yeah, sorry. Here, let me see."

She glanced at the problem on his laptop and then back to his notes.  
What she could make out from them. His handwriting was a little illegible.

"Ah, I see what you did wrong. Here."  
She then went through the problem, step by step.

"Okay, yeah. Got it." Sunny said as he scribbled in his notebook the next question.

Marianne's phone buzzed and she saw she received a text from her sister.  
_'What ya_ doin _?'_  
_'Studying with Sunny.'_ she replied.  
_'Ooooh~ I see ;) '_  
_'It's not like that'_  
There was a pause that Marianne didn't like.  
_'I'm gonna call you!'_

"What? Dawn no!" she said out loud.

Her phone buzzed with an incoming video call from Dawn. She groaned as she stared at the picture of her sister.

Sunny perked up at the buzzing of Marianne's phone.  
"Who's that?" he asked.

"My sister," Marianne said with gritted teeth. "And she wants to say hi."

Marianne accepted the call because she knew better than to refuse. Otherwise, she'd receive phone call after phone call until she picked up or until Dawn gave up.  
And Dawn rarely gave up on anything.

With great reluctance, she accepted the call and turned down the volume to almost silent.

Even with the volume turned low, Dawn was still quite cheerful.

And loud.

"Hi!" Dawn excitedly screeched into the phone. Her face extremely close to the camera as she waved.

"Dawn, be quiet!" She hissed into the receiver. "We're in the library."  
Dawn put her finger to her lips and whispered something Marianne couldn't hear.

Marianne turned up the volume.  
"What?" she said.

Dawn rolled her eyes.  
"I said, 'So where's Sunny? I wanna say hi!'"

Marianne's mouth hardened into a firm line.  
"If I let you talk to Sunny, will you promise to let us go back to studying?"  
Her sister nodded and upturned her pinkie.  
"Sister swear!" she said, adding her signature beaming smile.

"Dawn," she started slowly. "This is Sunny,"  
She propped her phone towards Sunny.

"Oh my gosh! Hi Sunny!!!" she heard.  
Marianne watched as Sunny's face shifted from curiosity to one of dumbstruck awe.  
_Uh oh Dawn, better add another notch to your belt_ , she thought.  
  
"Oh, uh, H-hi Dawn." Sunny stammered.

"So Sunny, what are you majoring in?"  
He cleared his throat, regaining his composure.  
"Music," he said, "and a minor in theater and dance."  
"What?! No way! I want to do something like that too!"

As they started talking in-length about their favorite types of music, Marianne flopped her head down onto her notebook.

_And there goes her study session._

***  
After lunch, Bog felt better. The food wasn't too bad and he felt satisfied.  
He didn't see his lovestruck roommate as he left the cafeteria. And, quite frankly, he didn't care to see her, or anyone, like that again.

Although, he did enjoy seeing her before then. When she had that fire in her eyes.

Bog felt himself shiver and zipped up his leather jacket.  
He should probably pull on a longsleeved shirt when he got to his room.

Halfway up the stairs towards his dorm room, his phone went off.

It was his mother.

He answered the call with great reluctance.

"Hi Mum," he said as he continued walking back to his room.  
He braced himself as he heard the grating voice of his mother through the speaker.  
"Just wanted to see how your first day is going," she said. "I know how you tend to oversleep."

He relaxed a little.  
"I'm fine Mum. I woke up at noon," he said as he unlocked his dorm room.

He heard her sigh.

"Hun, you're going to have ta change a few habits of yours if ya want to succeed in school."  
As Bog entered his room and thankfully didn't see Marianne. The last thing he'd need is for his mother to hear a woman in the background to start nagging about marriage.

"I've got my ways," he said, "Besides, Thang can assist me with studying."

Her mother scoffed.

"Theodore's too nice for his own good. He's not going to be there for you forever."  
He rolled his eyes as he dropped his jacket on his bed and rifled through his drawer for a long-sleeved shirt.  
"He can at least get me started."

"Or you could find a nice girl to help you study," she suggested and Bog grimaced.  
"I don't need anyone," he said flatly.

They've had this conversation too many times to count. If he had a dollar for every time she discussed love or marriage, he'd be able to pay his student loans off and then some.

"I just don't want you dying sad and alone," she said with conviction. "I will find someone for you if it takes my last breath."

Bog sighed in annoyance. She was always so melodramatic.

"Listen, Mum, I gotta go get ready for my first class," he said as he found his backpack under his pile of clothes.  
"Don't be a stranger!" she said, "Love you!"  
"Yep. Love you too," he said as he ended the call and started packing.

***  
Bog felt his first few classes went well. Although, he's really going to need Thang's help with his plant biology class. He stretched, as he walked back outside, and gave his neck a satisfying crack, he groaned and relaxed.  
The sky was darkening into deep indigos and subdued violets as night approached.  
Not that the night bothered him.

He took the long way around the path that followed along the river near the university. Bikers and runners were frequent in the day. But with night approaching, the paths were barren and quiet, with the soft hush of the night air whispering through the leaves.

As he walked, he admired the vibrant maples and the strong resilient oaks as he passed. Smoothing a hand over one of the tree's rough bark.

It wasn't home, but it felt similar.

The forests were a safe place for him as a child. A place where he could escape. A place where he would find himself again when times were tough.

Especially after his father died.

As he got older and created more headaches for his mother, he'd retreat into the woods to go and sulk after they'd argue. Or when he got into a fist fight and didn't want to have his mom see his wounds.

When the path entered back through the university, he heard someone say his name.

"Bog! Hey Bog!"  
He turned to see Thang waving frantically to grab his attention.  
"Thang," he said with a smirk, "How are ya?" He gave his small friend a rough pat on the back.

"I'm doing great!" Thang replied, giving Bog one of his toothy smiles. His braces shining in the dim lighting.

He could see that Thang was glancing every once in a while towards the plump woman he stood next to.

"This is Stephanie," he stuttered, "She's from our dorm."  
"Call me Stuff," she said in a lower voice than Bog was expecting.  
Bog nodded a greeting.  
She nodded back, her stoic face showing a trace of a smile.  
"Nice jacket," she said.

Where Thang portrayed the stereotypical nerd, Stuff was the epitome of a punk rocker.  
Gauged earrings, septum piercing. Her shaved hair was dyed a vibrant green which complimented with her dark purple eyeshadow.  
Wearing combat boots and slightly ripped black jeans. The only color she wore was her shirt, which was also green.  
She also wore a studded leather jacket, bedecked with various pins and patches.

"We're having a party in the common area tonight!" Thang said as he handed Bog a small flyer. "Great way to meet your neighbors."

Bog read the small piece of paper.

 _I Survived the First Day of the Semester Party!_  
_8:00 - 12:00_  
_Common Room_  
_Be there or be square._

Bog quirked a small smile. Only Thang would make flyers for a party.

"Will there be alcohol?" Bog asked with a smirk.  
"Of course," Stuff said.  
"Definitely not," Thang said.  
Stuff put her hands on her hips and quirked an eyebrow at Thang.  
He sheepishly looked away and glanced towards Bog.

"We're still working out the details about the food and drinks."

Bog nodded. He wasn't one for socializing, but he'd never say no to free booze.  
Besides, he didn't want Thang to get into any trouble.  
"Okay, I might join a little later," he said as he stuffed to paper in his pocket. He nodded back to Stuff. "Stuff, it was nice meeting you."  
"Likewise," she said as she and Thang went towards the campus store.

Bog entered their dorm room and found Marianne curled up on her bed with her textbook.  
"You know, there's a party going on in the common room."  
Without looking up from her textbook, she quipped,  
"And destroy all my brain cells with booze? No thank you."  
Bog quirked an eyebrow at her.  
"I'll have ya know that's a myth. It only damages the neurons."

Marianne, now needing to know if it was true, pulled out her phone and did a quick search. Finding out that what he said was indeed true.  
"I stand corrected," she said as she went back to her textbook. "But that doesn't mean I'm going."

Bog, meanwhile, had opened his laptop and sent his friend a message.

> [DarkGoblin: So how was your first day at school, SmartyPants?]

She wasn't on, but he was sure he'd receive a reply before she went to bed.

"What, you need permission from your boyfriend to do anything fun?"  
He turned back to his roommate and saw that she was glaring daggers at him.

He held his hands up in surrender.  
Clearly, she wasn't the joking type.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he said. "I won't force ya. But I will say, it'll be a great way to meet everyone else here. Look, Thang even made flyers." He smoothed out the paper he had shoved in his pocket and showed her.

She stiffly accepted his apology and the paper. Trying not to look directly at him.  
It still felt weird when he was near.

She smiled at the flyer, Thang was a total nerd.  
Maybe she should go and say hi.

"You can't hide your nose in your books forever," Bog said as he left and Marianne pursed her lips.  
Or maybe she should stay here, away from that asshole.

After a few minutes of debating, she decided to go.  
But not because Bog convinced her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for all the kudos and comments! Keep em coming!


	5. Party Hardy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne goes to the party and tries to prove Bog wrong.

She got dressed into something less drabby, piling her hair into a quick bun. Bog's stinging remarks echoing in her mind. She even put on a fresh coat of mascara. Each stroke filling her with determination.

She didn't need Roland's permission to have fun.  
She didn't need anyone to tell her what to do.  
Not even that Scottish asshole.

When she arrived downstairs, the common area looked very empty. The few students going to and from their classes paid her no heed as they went on their way.  
The common area itself was moderate in size. Taking over the right half of the building when first entering the dormitory. The sunny yellow paint gave the area a cheerful feel.  
The only group she spotted was a small group of gamers who had made themselves comfy on the plush couches on the farthest wall in front of two large tv's.

Glancing at her phone, seeing it was slightly past eight.  
It was still early. The party just started.

She chewed on her lip as her steeled resolve ebbed, realizing she practically knew no one.  
Glancing back at her phone, she wanted to invite Roland.  
But then thought better.  
Roland wouldn't like it here, she reasoned. He liked the more refined parties like the ones her father held.  
And she wasn't going to stay for very long anyway.  
Just go in.  
Prove Bog wrong.  
Then go back to her studies.

Looking back around the room again she found the familiar face of Theodore... _Thang_ , sitting within a circle of plush chairs and couches near the windows. Next to him, a very round, very punk looking woman with a small speaker and a couple of large coolers.

And Bog...  
Bog was there too.

He was sitting crosswise to them in a love-seat. Sipping from a bottle Marianne knew to be of an alcoholic kind. He looked relaxed and had a wide smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes as they conversed.

She thought it odd.  
Seeing him so... happy.

Her stomach did a weird flip when their eyes met. And then another when his smile widened even further.

She really hoped she wasn't getting sick.

"Well, look who finally made it!" he called out, waving her over.  
She steeled herself as she made her way over. Looking away from Bog, focusing more towards Thang who perked up when he noticed her.

"Marianne!" Thang exclaimed, "So good of you to come!"  
He practically fell out of his seat as he scrambled out of his chair. Marianne couldn't help but smile as he bounded over towards her, much like an eager puppy. He grasped her hand and led her to the couch across from himself and the very punkish woman he sat next to.  
She ignored Bog in her peripheral vision. Putting on invisible blinders.

"This is Stephanie," Thang gestured to the round woman, "from room two-o-five."  
Stephanie gave her a nod.  
"Marianne is Bog's roommate," he said to Stephanie and then sat back next to her.  
Stephanie offered Marianne a drink from one of the two coolers beside her.  
When Marianne looked at the can questioningly, Stephanie said, "It's non-alcoholic."

She thanked Stephanie and indulged in her soda, only to find it was lukewarm, grimacing when the after-taste kicked in.  
"The sodas might still be warm," Stephanie said a little too late.  
"Thanks for the update," Marianne said without thinking.  
She heard Bog bark a laugh and ignored it.  
"Ha!" Stephanie elbowed Thang. "I like her."

"So, who wants to play Charades?" Thang then suggested.  
"Charades?" Marianne asked, not quite knowing the game in particular.  
"Yeah," Stephanie added, "Last I checked, I wasn't ten."  
Thang's head dropped a little in dejection.  
"Well, uh, we could try a different game?" He then suggested.  
"Well," Marianne said, "Maybe we could try a few rounds?"  
"Or" Bog added, "We can add in alcohol."  
Stephanie perked up at the idea.  
"Yeah! Let's do that!" Steph said.  
Thang quirked his head.  
"You can do that?"  
"You can add drinking to any game," Bog added with a smirk and took a quick sip from his bottle.  
"Interesting," Thang mused. "Does everyone have to drink?"  
"Yes"  
"Oh."

As everyone else chatted back and forth over who was going to be on which team, Marianne shifted a little in her seat. Glancing around, there was still really no one else here she knew.

She took out her phone sent Sunny a quick message.

 _'There's a party going on in my dorm. Although, it's not much of a party.'_  
She got a reply a few seconds later.  
_'Say no more.'_ Sunny typed, _'Which one?'_  
_'Crossroads'_  
_'Alright, be there in a few!'_

"Marianne?" She heard Bog call her. "It's your turn."  
"What?" She looked up and blinked. "Oh, right."  
She shifted uncomfortably when everyone looked at her.  
"So, remind me the rules again?"  
Thang immediately raised his hand.  
Bog snorted, hiding his smile behind his hand.  
"Would you like to do the honors?" He then asked.  
Thang gave Marianne a wide smile.  
"You get a word or phrase you have to act out, without speaking," Thang clarified, "that your team has to guess."  
"Otherwise, losers drink," Stephanie added.  
Seems easy enough, she thought.  
"Okay, and how will I know this word or phrase?"  
Stephanie rolled her eyes and smirked.  
"He has an app."

So Marianne, who got stuck with Bog, spent the next minute flailing and failing at conveying her word, 'Free Bird'.  
"How did you not get _that_?" She exasperated.  
"You were flailing around so much, I don't know!" He said.  
"I was trying to convey feeling free!"  
She plopped down in her seat, defeated.  
"Do we really have to drink?" She asked.  
"Here, I'll drink for you."  
He took her bottle and then took a swig.

"Thang, you're up."  
"Alright!" Thang said, cracking his knuckles and shifting his shoulders. "I hope this won't be too difficult for you to guess."  
"Pride and Prejudice," she said with conviction.  
"What?" He exclaimed. "But how?"  
She smirked and tapped the table in front of her.  
"You left your phone opened."

Thang facepalmed and everyone shared a laugh.

Any new conversations were interrupted by the sound of old-school hip-hop music blaring in the entryway. Everyone turned towards the entrance of three newcomers.  
"Look out crowd, the party's here!" Marianne heard Sunny say.  
"Watch out for Riverside!" Another, much more baritone, voice said.

Marianne noticed, as they entered, a tall man behind Sunny hefting a large boombox on his shoulders with ease. He sported a healthy love of carbs with his round, yet athletic, figure.  
The darker, shorter woman beside him was more of a flamboyant peacock. Sporting high-heeled combat boots, mermaid-scale leggings, and a dark green sequined jacket that covered a black halter-top. Half her head was shaved. The other half cascaded down like scales in various green, blue, and purple jeweled tones. Her makeup was just as bold and colorful.

Marianne smirked, thinking that the new girl and Stephanie would get along just fine.

Thang stood still, mouth agape. Stephanie cracked a smile.  
"Aw yeah!" She said. "The _real_ party's starting now."  
"Way to make an entrance," Bog muttered and Marianne gave him a sharp look.  
"Good to see you made it," she then said, waving them over.

Sunny had a beaming smile as the trio made their way closer. He gestured the tall guy to turn down the music.  
"Hey guys, the name's Sunny," he said, giving a small bow, "and this is Pare and Lizzie."  
Pare placed the boombox next to the cooler and Stephanie ever so casually turned off her small speaker.  
"Can you guess which one of us is the art major?" Pare joked, thumbing towards Lizzie, and Lizzie rolled her eyes.  
"I'm going out for a cigarette," she huffed and left as quickly as she came.  
"Here," Bog said as he got up, pulling a pack of cigarettes from inside his jacket pocket. "I'll keep ya company."

Marianne felt a strange mix of relief and anxiety, as Bog walked further and further away.

As she contemplated heading back to her dorm room, her thoughts were jolted out of her when Pare's heavyweight and girth made her side of the couch jump abruptly.  
"So," he said, as he settled more into his side of the couch, "Sunny tells me you're his crushes' sister?"  
Marianne saw Sunny whip his head around to stare at the two of them. His mouth agape.  
"Pare! C'mon man!" he said.  
Pare's deep and jovial laugh put a small smile on her face.  
He leaned in towards her and said, "It's true though. Once he saw your sister, he was smitten."  
"Yeah," she said quietly, "I could tell too."

She looked back to see Sunny on his phone. His thumbs going a mile a minute.  
"Tell Dawn I said hi!" she called out.  
Sunny jolted. Hiding his phone behind his back, looking like a child that just got caught stealing.  
A rising blush creeping to his cheeks.  
"I have no idea who you're talking about," he said.  
She and Pare chuckled.  
Thang, oblivious, glanced up from his phone.  
"What's so funny?" he said.  
A sputtering noise came from Stephanie as she choked down a laugh, as well as her drink.  
Then everyone shared a laughed.

Marianne laughed so hard that she had to wipe tears from her eyes.  
A guy with a white beanie and casual hipster attire had joined the group without her noticing.  
She frowned, vaguely remembering him being the one who had taken the last math book.  
He tapped on a cooler, grabbing Stephanie's attention.  
He made a few motions with his hands and then pointed to the cooler.  
"You want a soda?" Stephanie asked with a slight frown. Not quite understanding.  
He scribbled down a quick note and showed her.  
She smirked and then gave him a beer.

Sunny smiled, greeting the mute newcomer.  
"My man Imp. What is happening?" he said as they fistbumped.  
Imp made a few more motions with his hands then thumbed towards the area with the gamers.  
"You know I'm always up for the classics," Sunny replied, cracking his knuckles, then left with Imp to the couches with the small group of gamers.  
"Alright guys, who's ready to get wrecked?" She heard Sunny call out. "Losers gotta take a shot!"

Now Marianne sat there with even fewer people whom she knew nothing about.  
Anxiety welled up in her as she felt compelled to start some sort of conversation.  
_What should she do? What should she say?_  
_And why did this feel so hard!?_

"So, what's your major?" she asked no one in particular.  
"Sports management," Pare said with a small nod.  
Stephanie, somehow already on her third drink without Marianne noticing, handed Thang his second.  
"I'm in arts and design," she casually said, "Mostly dealing with welding and ceramics."  
Thang perked up.  
"I'm majoring in mathematics and accounting," he said a little proudly.  
Marianne raised her eyebrows.  
"You're doing _two_ majors?" she said incredulously.  
He gave her a nonchalant shrug.  
"Well. They're both similar. One just has more to do with money."  
Marianne felt a pang in her stomach, remembering Roland was also in accounting.  
"True," she said.

She felt the sting of guilt for not including Roland, fishing her phone from her pocket.  
He would enjoy being here.  
Wouldn't he?

"Mind if I join ya?"  
Her roommate snapped her out of her musings.  
She whipped her head up, hiding her phone in her lap. Setting her lips into a firm line and remembered _why_ she didn't invite Roland.  
But Bog was talking more to Pare than to her.  
Pare shifted over, giving him room, but Bog was easily able to wedge his slim hips between the two of them.  
Lizzie who had also returned hugged Pare from behind the sofa.  
"You're an ass," she said, kissing his cheek.  
"Love you too babe," he said, giving her an affectionate pat on the cheek.  
She saw Bog's mouth twitch into a scowl. Looking away.  
He flicked his gaze to her and forced a fake smile.  
"Enjoying yourself?" He asked.

Being so close to him, she could pick up on the bold scent of leather, and a more subtle cedar scent, among the fading cigarette smell. It sent an electric tingle down her spine. Her arms flooded with fire and her face felt increasingly warm.  
Her eyes flicked between his piercing blue eyes and his lips.  
Words stuck in her throat.  
Not sure what to say.  
Not sure she _could_.  
Her mind rebelled as these feelings continued to confuse and conflict in her.  
As much as she wanted to, she resisted the urge to bury her face into his shirt and take it all in.

After taking a calming breath, only to find more leather and cedar, she blinked a few times, before clearing her throat.  
"Uh, yeah. Good. I'm good," was all she could muster to say, also forcing a smile.

Ever so carefully, she got up and walked around the coffee table. Tension coiled in her body like a spring. Taking back the reigns of her control and focused.  
She wasn't going to let others see.  
She wasn't going to let _Bog_ see.  
How much he... unnerved her.

"Hey, Steph," she asked casually. "Can I get something more... _alcoholic_?"  
"Sure." Stephanie rummaged through the second cooler, "What do you like?"  
She had to think for a moment, thinking that Steph probably didn't have wine.  
"Um, something fruity if you have it?" She then said.  
She was then handed a hard cider.

She nodded a thank you as she left towards the couch where Imp and Sunny were playing Mario Kart. Their faces intently focused on the screen in front of them.  
The area, since she last saw it, had gotten a little more crowded with more people. Still, she was able to find a comfortable spot on the floor near Sunny. She twisted open her drink and sipped as she tried to forget whatever happened back there with Bog.

As she watched the small pixelated racers dodge and weave through the racetrack, she marveled at how far everything had come since her childhood.

It seemed like such a long time ago when things used to be simple and easy.

The race finished and everyone cheered as Sunny won the final lap. He got off the couch and did a small victory dance that made Marianne giggle.  
She felt a small nudge on her shoulder and looked to see Imp holding his controller to her.  
"Oh. Um, okay," she said as she took the controller.  
He jotted down a small note and showed her.  
_'Sunny likes to attack towards the end of the race'_  
His dark brown eyes twinkled with a mischievous glint as he smiled at her.  
She couldn't help but smile back.  
"Okay, thanks," she said and swapped seats with him.

"Don't forget to take your medicine," Sunny teased and handed Imp a beer bottle.  
Imp took a large gulp and then gave an extremely sour look.  
He signed something to Sunny, who laughed and said, "Alright, I'll get you something sweeter next time." And then sat back down next to Marianne.

As they went through the character selection screen, he turned to her.  
"You ready to get your butt kicked?" He said with a smirk after choosing Toad.  
"Ha," she said, choosing Princess Peach, "Maybe you should ready yours."  
"Oh? It's gonna be like that?" He raised an eyebrow. "You better watch yo'self."  
She leaned forward in her seat, getting a firmer grip on her controller, a devious smile upturning the corners of her lips.  
They awaited silently as the countdown began.

After three laps, and some serious smack talk between her and Sunny, Marianne won the final round.  
She sagged into the couch and let out a satisfied sigh as everyone around her cheered.  
It felt good to play games again.  
It wasn't Realm of Faircraft, but it took the edge off.  
She wondered what DarkGoblin was doing tonight.  
She'd have to reinstall the game, but maybe she could get into a raid tonight, /then study.

"Oh, I didn't know bookworms could play," she heard Bog's teasing from behind her.  
Marianne failed to suppress her broadening smile.  
She was too much into the game, she told herself.  
"Well, there's a lot this bookworm can do," she said as she quickly glanced over her shoulder, seeing Bog give her a sly smile.  
"Yeah, like _lose_."  
He held a hand out for Sunny's controller.  
Sunny hopped off the couch and took a large swig of his drink. Scrunching his face in bitter defeat, he handed the controller to Bog.  
"Is that a challenge?" She raised an eyebrow.  
His sly smile broadened.  
"It is," he simply stated as he sat next to her.  
Her cheeks warmed and her stomach felt all fluttery.

 _Focus on the game!_ She chastised herself and redirected her focus on the tv in front of her and scooched a little further away from him.

Back in the character selection screen, she chose Peach again and Bog went with Bowser.  
"Trying to keep your 'bad boy' reputation?" She smirked.  
He cocked an eyebrow at her.  
"Is pink the only color you choose?"  
"Ha!" She laughed. "It takes a _real_ man to wear pink."  
He let out a loud laugh and cracked a genuine smile.

As the countdown begun, they both quieted and leaned forward. Their previous banter tucked away for later.  
Marianne failed to notice that Bog had leaned towards her.  
"I'm coming for ya, Princess..." he murmured suggestively in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.  
She swore in frustration as that was enough of a distraction for Bog to begin the race in first.

The rest of the race carried on in tense silence. A heated game of cat and mouse. Sharing competitive glares with each other between rounds.

"Yes! Victory!" Bog cheered, fist-pumping the air as he just barely won the final round.  
Marianne slumped a little in defeat.  
He held her bottle out towards her.  
"Cheers," he said with a sly grin.  
Marianne reluctantly took a large gulp of her drink and then gave him a sour look.  
"Aww. Is someone a sore loser?"  
She couldn't help but crack a smile and gave him a playful push.  
"Maybe you're just lucky."  
She went to give the controller to Imp, but then Bog's large hand held hers back.  
Her breath hitched as she felt a shock run through her.  
"Best two out of three?" He asked tentatively.

Every second seemed to drag on forever as she locked her gaze with his.  
It felt like deja vu.  
Unable to focus.  
Unable to speak.  
Eyes glued to his questioning gaze.  
Fingertips tingling at his warm touch.  
Hints of cedar and leather tickling her nostrils.

 _How was he doing these things to her?_  
He was like this catalyst to a new range of emotions she's never experienced before.  
_And it frustrated her._

"Hey guys. Pizza's here!" Thang announced and Marianne blinked out of her reverie.  
And just like that, her inner frustration was forgotten.

She and Bog both glanced back to see a large pile of pizza boxes. Stephanie and Pare already eagerly digging into their slices. Some of the gamers were making their way over.  
Marianne's mouth watered and her stomach grumbled.  
She looked back at Bog and he seemed to be thinking the same thing.  
"After pizza?" He asked.  
"After pizza..." she agreed as she handed her controller to the nearest gamer as he did the same.  
  
Bog was hoping to chat with Marianne a bit more, but she seemed to avoid his questions. Instead, she went and chatted with Stuff and Lizzie. Leaving him with the guys. She avoided his gaze when he glanced over towards her. He didn't give it any more thought. There wasn't anything he could do at the moment. Instead, he started a conversation with Imp and Sunny.

Eventually, Marianne came back when she finished eating, quietly waiting for Bog to finish.

By the time they went back, the gamers were packing up and leaving.  
"Another time then," he said to her. Feeling a little disappointed.  
He felt a tap on the shoulder.  
_'Want to play a different game?'_ Imp asked.  
Bog quirked an eyebrow, curious.  
"What kind of game?"  
Imp then showed them the next note with an impish smile.  
_'Drinking card game.'_

He glanced at Marianne, who was now reading the note.  
"I don't know," Bog mused, rubbing his chin. "This little waif here already had a few drinks."  
Putting her hands on her hips, she cocked an eyebrow at him.  
"What," she goaded. "Afraid you'll lose?"  
He licked his lips and grinned.  
She was feisty, he'll give her that.

They stared each other down as they went and took their seats.  
"So," he turned to Imp, "What are we playing?"  
Imp grinned and wrote, _'Blackjack.'_  
Bog grinned when Imp then pulled a bottle of vodka from his backpack.  
"I like how you play."  
He glanced over to Marianne after they each received a small plastic cup.  
"Last chance to cop out," he said.  
She glanced at Bog, then at the bottle, then back to Bog.  
Taking her cup, she set it down on the table.  
She crossed her arms and gave him a smug smile.  
  
He had to bite his lip to stop smiling so much.  
Oh Gods, she was as stubborn as she was feisty.  
This was going to be _very_ interesting.

\---  
After being thoroughly beaten by Imp, they both rushed outside. Stumbling towards the nearest bush.  
Marianne snapped a cold glare at Bog as he sidled next to her.  
"Go find your own bush to puke in!" she yelled.  
She clutched her stomach as it rebelled.  
_Oh God, why did she agree to that drinking game?_

She cringed as she heard the liquidy splatter against the ground. Her stomach churned again, but she held firm.  
"You're Scottish," she practically shouted in disbelief. "Why are you puking?!"  
He was leaning against the sidewall. His breathing coming out in harsh pants.  
"It's the Native American in me," he panted.  
She tilted her head towards him and smiled.  
"So, _that's_ how you got those high cheekbones."  
She tried to poke his cheek but ended up poking his nose.  
He let out a breathless laugh as he straightened himself out. Wiping his mouth with his hand, then wiping it on his pant leg.  
"What about you?" He then asked her.  
She frowned.  
"What about me?" She asked defensively. "I'm fine, I don't need help."  
She took a step back and started to tilt, her arms waving wildly. Bog was leaning forward, grabbing her by her waist. She latched onto Bog's forearms to maintain her balance.

"Oh wow," she said, her eyes hooded as she leaned in closer. "I forgot how _good_ you smelled."  
She let go of his forearms and fisted his shirt. Burying her face into his chest, inhaling deeply.  
He smelled like a forest on a rainy day.  
"I wish Roland smelled just as good," she sighed.  
She tensed, remembering something long forgotten.  
"Oh my God, Roland! He should be here!"  
She stepped back towards the entrance and got her phone.

Bog, still reeling from the initial contact, had to blink a few times. He was sure he smelled of vomit. He tentatively sniffed his shirt.  
Ah, his father's signature cologne.  
Well, _his_ now.  
There were a lot of things that were his now, he mused.

His fingers absentmindedly traced over where her hands had been. His heart hammering in his chest.  
No one's ever really done _that_ before.  
He wasn't sure what do make of it.

"Roland? Ro-land?" He heard Marianne slur. "Hey, where are you? I love youuu~"  
He felt a weird twinge in his gut as he envisioned his roommate sucking face in a corner with that blonde pretty boy.  
When she fumbled and dropped her phone, he took the opportunity to snatch it up and end the call.

"Hey, wait." She swiped for her phone. "Give it back!"  
"Nope, nope," he said, holding it high, "I'm doing ya a favor."  
When she failed to get her phone back, she punched him in the stomach. He grunted in pain, clutching his gut, but he still held firm onto her phone. He was glad he already vomited.  
He'd hate to soil her clothes.  
"You've got quite a punch," he said through gritted teeth and gently gave her back her phone.

She twirled in triumph, holding her phone high above her head. Then paused as she teetered. Finally, rushing over and vomiting into the bushes.

Bog, feeling guilty, started patting her back.  
"You good?" he asked as she finished.  
She shoved his hand away.  
"This is all _your_ fault," she accused, glaring daggers at him.  
Bog felt a flicker of anger and then suppressed it. He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration.  
_Easy Bog, easy._  
" _My_ fault?" He asked, baffled. "What _exactly_ is _my_ fault?!"  
  
She gave him an incredulous look.  
"Don't you play dumb." Giving him a hard poke to the chest. " _You_ convinced me to come down to this party. Got me _real_ good n' drunk. Then you have the gall to keep me away from my _fiance_!"  
She shoved her now slightly cracked phone into his face.  
She took it away and leered at him.  
"You want me to _fail_. You an' _everyone else_ can't wait to see lil ol' me falls flat on her face."  
She puffed out her chest a little, putting her fists on her hips.  
"Well, let me tell you something. I--"  
He watched as her face paled before she turned and resumed puking against the building. The sickening splatter just barely missing their shoes.

He felt uneasy as she started to sob.  
"Hey, hey," he said gently. He tried to comfort her by gently rubbing her back. "Let's get you inside, yeah?"  
He heard her sniffle as she wiped her face with her sleeves.  
"Okay," she said quietly.

She wordlessly accepted his help as he brought a protective arm over her shoulder and gently led her back inside to the couches. Bringing her a bottle of water and a slice of cold leftover pizza and then sat down next to her.

Stuff paid them no mind, or at least didn't show it, focusing on tearing off soda can tabs. Her small speaker playing punk rock music again. Thang looked like he was starting to nod off. Sunny, Pare, and Lizzie had already left. He didn't know where Imp had gone off to, which was fine with him. He didn't want to look at any more alcohol for the rest of the week.

Bog sat back and recalled the last few hours. He had fun. Marianne surprised him. She proved to be a worthy opponent for certain.  
He wondered what her major was.  
He remembered seeing the spark in her eyes when she got competitive.  
His fingers absentmindedly rubbed his shirt again.

He decided to break the awkward silence between them.  
"I just wanted to know more about you," he quietly admitted. "If we're gunna be roomin' together, might as well have fun, ya know?"  
  
He felt pressure on his shoulder and glanced over to see that Marianne had nodded off.  
She looked peaceful as her chest softly rose and fell. Her lips slightly parted.  
He smiled to himself and gently pulled the water bottle from her hands and took a sip.

He'd let her rest, for now.

\---  
"Hey, wake up."  
A gentle nudge jostled Marianne awake.  
"Whoops. Sorry, sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her heavy eyelids.  
Marianne blinked, stomach feeling weird, her head fuzzy. She stretched, and let out a satisfying yawn.

The common room felt very quiet. Glancing over at the clock, it was well past midnight.  
It seemed that almost everyone else had left.  
Thang had fallen asleep on the sofa. Stephanie was precariously stacking cans into a large pyramid around him. Imp was sitting off to the side playing on a 3DS, occasionally glancing at the pyramid. Most likely waiting for it to fall.

And she had fallen asleep on Bog's shoulder.  
She jolted awake, realizing what she had done.  
She glanced over to him.  
If Bog minded at all, he was hiding it.

Feeling more than a little flustered and embarrassed, she groggily got up. Letting out a sharp hiss as she banged her shin against the coffee table.  
Bog chuckled.  
"Need me to carry you, Princess?" Bog offered, holding out a hand.  
"No, no, I'm good" she protested sleepily. "I'm a big girl."  
He dropped his hand and gave a short laugh.  
"I'm sure you are," he said. "Now, did you have fun?"  
She smiled to herself.  
She did.  
Except for puking in the bushes.  
Looking over her shoulder, she gave Bog a smirk.  
"Now, I'm going to have even more fun _sleeping_."

Her limbs protested as she lumbered back up the stairs to her warm inviting bed.  
She didn't really bother getting changed, dropping her cardigan and pants on the floor.

She noticed that she had a message from DarkGoblin and gave it a quick read.  
     [DarkGoblin: So how was your first day at school, Smartypants?]  
She smiled and typed a reply.  
     [LightQueen: It was fun. Made a few new friends. Have a good night :) ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O.M.G you guys. This chapter took for-ev-er to write and edit! This has been written and rewritten since November...  
> Let me know what you think. The next few chapters will be much quicker to update.  
> Kudos and Comments are always welcome and encouraged.


	6. The Little Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog and Marianne's habits start to bother each other.

Marianne woke the next morning with a headache that throbbed to the sound of her alarm on her phone. She groaned as she tried silencing the loud irritant.

"Shit, Shit! I'm late!"

Throwing off her covers, she rushed out of bed, pulling on her previous night's pants. Throwing off her shirt and grabbing a new one from her drawer. She didn't have time to worry over whether Bog would see anything or not.

Her head pounded as she pulled on her shirt. She took a calming breath.  
_It's okay. It's just your second day._

When Bog's snore cut in, she pursed her lips.  
She gave his sleeping form a glare and hoped he would have the nastiest hangover ever.

When she arrived a half hour late to her morning math class, she tried to slip into the classroom as quietly she could. All while munching on the blueberry poptart she had grabbed from one of the vending machines on her way over.

Sunny gave her a silent nod as she sat next to him. He scribbled her a note saying, 'I'll fill you in on what you missed later.' She scribbled back a 'thank you' and then proceeded to take out her own notebook and tried to follow along with the lesson.  
  


Between classes, Marianne had scarfed down a sandwich from the cafeteria. She didn't see Roland today, but then again, she didn't really have time for chit-chat. She needed to focus on her studies and so should he.

After her second class, she met up with Sunny at the library like they did the other day.  
"So, how was the party after I left?" Sunny asked her between questions.  
Marianne groaned, holding her head in her hands, the vague memory of puking in the bushes crossing her thoughts.  
"I'm never drinking vodka ever again," she said.  
Sunny chuckled but didn't say anything else as they both quietly went back to focusing on their homework and note exchange.  
  
\---  
Bog woke up a little later than usual. Massive headache, but no bother.  
However, _his mother_ was.

When he answered his phone, he didn't even get a chance to say hello.  
"Why haven't you been picking up?" His mother got right to the point.  
He sighed, it was too early for this crap.  
"Sorry Mum. I've been sleeping." He said groggily.  
"Sleeping with _some girl_ I hope."  
Bog blushed and sat up.  
"Damn it, Mum! It's too early," he said, putting his palm to his face in embarrassment.  
He heard his mother chuckle.  
"Are you up now?"  
"Yes," he groaned. "Thank you..."  
"Have a good day at school sweetheart! Don't be a stranger."  
And then she hung up the phone.

If his mother found out he was, _technically_ , sleeping with a girl.  
A... kind of cute girl. In her own way.  
He shook his thoughts away as huffed got out of bed.

 _Damn it_. His mother was getting to him.

He grabbed his clothes and then went to take a long, _cold_ , shower.

While walking to his first class after breakfast, he caught a glimpse of Marianne walking with that short guy from the party last night. Bog remembered that he seemed like a very entertaining guy. He tried to jog his memory for his name.  
Sammy? Sandy?  
_Sunny._  
He felt a strange twinge in his gut as he watched the two smile, hug, and then part ways.  
  
He frowned at himself.  
  
If he didn't know any better, he'd say he was jealous.

He scowled as he immediately tamped down any and all feelings.

Why the hell would he be jealous of _that_?

He furrowed his brow as he trudged his way across campus and did his best to not give her anymore thought.

  
When he came back from classes that night, he had noticed Marianne went to bed early, so he crept quietly to his side of the room. He dropped his bag as gently as he could, eased into his computer chair and sighed.  
It was a long day with a lot of homework to do.

But first, he was going to indulge himself with a little fun.  
He cracked his knuckles and gleefully smiled to himself as he booted his laptop.  
_Now to play a little Realm of Faircraft._

He wished LightQueen was on, he missed their bantering, but she was probably busy studying.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Marianne flopped in her bed for the hundredth time.  
Damn her.  
Damn her for being a light sleeper.

She laid awake in her bed as the light from Bog's laptop flooded her senses. She could even faintly hear music from Bog's headphones.  
It was bad enough that she didn't get enough sleep last night. Now she wasn't going to sleep well this night either!

She glared at Bog's unkempt side of the room before she rolled over.  
This weekend she was going to go out and buy a curtain.  
Or maybe she'd build a wall.

***  
The next few days seemed to fly by for Marianne as she got into her new routine. There wasn't another problem between her and Bog until one particular afternoon.

She had just come back from her lunchtime when a foul burnt smell hit her as she entered the room.  
She wrinkled her nose and involuntarily gagged.  
Oh God, she thought, what _was_ that?!

She glanced over to see Bog sitting cross-legged on his bed, watching something on his phone with his headphones plugged in. Intermittently snacking on popcorn.  
"Bog? Bog!" she said loudly.  
He looked towards her and removed an earphone.  
"Yeah?" he asked.  
"What the  _hell_ is that smell?"  
He ducked his head sheepishly.  
"I might have burnt some popcorn in the microwave," he admitted.  
She gagged and coughed as she went and flung open her window. She took in a breath of fresh air before she went to her top drawer and rummaged for some air freshener.  
"Couldn't you have eaten that in the common room?" She asked.  
"Then that would be a waste of a microwave," he said pointing to the microwave on the table.  
She looked over at the small black microwave sitting clear as day on the table they shared.

Strange, she never noticed.

"When did we get a microwave?" She said.  
"I've had it since we moved in," he said and then put his earphone back on and resumed what he was doing.  
She gave him a hard look when he wasn't looking.  
"At least open the window next time," she muttered and then proceeded to spritz the air with lavender air freshener.

\---  
That night after her last class she decided she needed to vent.  
When she entered their room, Bog wasn't there. Most likely taking classes.  
_Good._

She flipped opened her laptop and saw DarkGoblin was online.  
_Also good._  
Out of all her friends, a male friend would probably be the best to talk to, right?  
She sent her friend some much-needed venting.

> [LightQueen: My roommate is driving me crazy! He's so disgusting! Are all men like that? No offense...]  
>  He replied a few seconds later.  
>  [DarkGoblin: None taken]  
>  [DarkGoblin: What's he been doing?]  
>  Marianne gave it some thought, but then didn't really come up with much.  
>  [LightQueen: It's mostly the little things. Like, keeping me up at night. He leaves empty bags and wrappers everywhere. The food he makes smells horrible!]  
>  [LightQueen: At least /he/ doesn't smell. Thank God!]  
>  [LightQueen: And the clothes! Left all over the floor! You have a dresser or something, USE IT!!!]  
>  Marianne took a few calming breathes, feeling better.  
>  [LightQueen: I'm sorry about venting, but I don't know if I can handle being stuck with him for the rest of the semester...]  
>  It took DarkGoblin a minute to respond.  
>  [DarkGoblin: Sounds horrible. I'm sorry.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: I might not know the guy, but most likely, he's unaware these things are bothering you. Have you talked to him about it?]  
>  [LightQueen: Well, no...]  
>  [DarkGoblin: That would be a good start.]  
>  [DarkGoblin: Alright, g2g. TTYL]  
>  [LightQueen: Okay, thanks! See you l8tr.]  
>  She got a reply a few seconds later.  
>  [DarkGoblin: Come back to RoF soon, we miss you!]

Marianne minimized her web browser with a small smile. Maybe she'll go back on this weekend.  
Then her smile shifted to a frown. She wasn't sure how she should start the conversation with Bog. She drummed her fingers on her desk and decided the now wasn't the time to think about that and then started reviewing her notes.

\---  
When Bog entered their dorm that night Marianne was already asleep again. He remembered his previous conversation with LightQueen and wondered if he was bothering his roommate in any way.

He decided he wasn't going to listen to music tonight.  
  


***  
  
_'We're no strangers to love, You know the rules and so do I~'_

Bog groaned inwardly. Why the bloody hell did she have to play that stupid music? It was bad enough that is was upbeat and preppy, but a love song no less!  
He nestled further into his bed, covering his ears with a pillow.  
It was the weekend and he didn't have any classes, but that didn't mean he had to get up early either.

But then he heard Marianne start to sing.

_"Never gonna give you up, Never gonna let you down, Never gonna clown around and desert you~"_

Bog was impressed, she had a good set of pipes. He wouldn't be surprised if she was majoring in music.

_"Never gonna make you cry, Never gonna say goodbye, Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you~"_

He peeked through his comforter to see Marianne at her side of the room wearing a grey tank-top and black shorts. Her hair in her signature messy bun. She looked to be tidying up with a dry dust cloth.  
He smirked a little as he watched her do a little twirl and bobbed her head to the beat.  
As she leaned over as her bed, he got a good view of her...

Nope. _Nope!_ Forget sleeping. He was _very_ awake now.

He groaned as he dragged himself out of bed with some effort.

"Oh good, you're up," he heard her almost- _too_ -cheerful voice say.  
She walked over to his side and plopped an empty garbage bag onto his area.  
"I'm doing laundry today, and I suggest you do yours too," she said before she turned back around to her side.  
He raised an eyebrow towards her as he picked up a shirt from his clean pile.  
"What are you, my mother?" he muttered to himself as he pulled on his shirt.

She must have heard him because she turned right back around towards him with her hands on her hips.  
"I'm may not be your mother, but _I am_ your roommate. And _I_ don't want to live in filth."  
Then he heard her mutter under her breath, "Unlike _you_."  
He jerked his head towards her, feeling the fiery spark of anger flare in his gut.  
"I'm sorry?!" He said incredulously.  
In almost one long stride he was in front of her.  
He practically loomed over as he leaned in close to her face.  
"Well, at least I'm not some bossy know-it-all who doesn't have tha bloody decency ta wear earphones while their roommate is sleeping!"

Marianne might have flinched, but she didn't cower under Bog's looming figure. Rather, it fueled her determined glare.  
But then she remembered what her friend had suggested and she sighed, sagging a little in defeat.  
She undid her bun and scrubbed her fingers through her scalp before tidying and smoothing her hair back.  
  
"Okay, look," she said, "We need to make some sort of agreement here."  
"Aye," he agreed, putting his hands on his hips. "Whaddya have in mind?"  
She bounced a little on her heels before deciding.  
"No staying up past midnight," she suggested.  
"Alright," he agreed.  
He crossed his arms and tapped his chin as he thought for a moment, "No bringing in significant others."  
Marianne pouted, but then agreed.  
"Fine. But no more popcorn in the room. Or that noodle crap."  
Then it was Bog's turn to pout.  
"Aw, c'mon now. It's a college student's staple."  
She pursed her lips, but stood firm.  
"Alright," she said, "how about only certain snacks in the dorm room?"  
He gave her a sly smirk.  
"Can we share?" He asked.  
She glanced over at her bed, remembering her secret chocolate stash.  
"Maybe..." she mused.

Bog then piped in with few ideas of his own.  
"Oh. No playing love songs," he said.  
She crossed her arms defensively.  
"And why not?"  
_I don't want to remember, that's_ why, he thought.  
"Oh, nothing really," he said dismissively. "I just don't want to have my brain rot from all your preppy, sugary music."  
She wrinkled her nose at him.  
"At least it's better than your screeching death noise."  
Bog smirked.  
"I'll have you know that I only _occasionally_ listen to death metal. I'm more of a classic rock and heavy metal kind of guy."  
He chuckled to himself.  
But Marianne still frowned.  
He cut his laugh short and sighed.  
"At least wear headphones," he said in a gentler tone. " _Especially_ in the morning."  
She shifted a little but then agreed.  
"Is there anything else you can think of?"  
He shook his head.  
"Not at the moment," he replied.  
"So, we have a deal?"  
She held her hand out.  
"I think so."  
  
He grasped her hand and ignored the strange tingling feeling at the contact of their skin.  
"Feel free to discuss any changes," he added with a smile.  
She gave him a small smile in return before going back to her side of the room to resume her cleaning.  
He quickly rubbed his hands together to get rid of the tingling in his palm.  
It lingered for longer than he'd liked as he took care of his own laundry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this one! The next few chapters will start to get the ball rolling per say. Can't wait for you to read! Until then, here's a little something to hold you over.  
> Again, Kudos and Comments are much appreciated!


	7. Metamorphosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes change happens only after destruction.

Marianne felt like skipping as she walked through the campus, plastic bag in tow.  
It was her first full day off and she was going to relax and have fun!  
She had just gotten back from finishing her laundry at the local laundromat. On her way back she might have splurged a little at a local mom-and-pop store.  
Rummaging through the bag, she smiled from ear to ear when she pulled out the small heart-shaped picture frame. Inside held one of her favorite pictures of her and Roland.

It wasn't much, but she thought it would be sweet for him to have near his nightstand. She almost squealed at the idea of his reaction.

Those emerald green eyes shining with surprise and delight.  
His golden hair doing that little curl thing that she liked.  
He'd give her one of those dashing smiles.  
Then he'd lean in and kiss her!

Speak of the devil himself.  
  
She saw Roland's signature golden locks from a mile away as he exited one of the academy buildings further down. He was wearing his varsity jacket and a scarf due to the slightly colder weather. He looked like he had just walked out of a magazine ad.  
She practically squealed.  
_How can that man look so good all the time?!  
_

She watched as he walked further and further away.  
_And that ass..._

She snapped to as she realized she was missing her opportunity. Smiling as she chastised herself. She must have looked so silly, practically _gawking_ at such a beautiful... handsome... _Amazing..._  
  
She frowned at herself.  
She was doing it again...

"Roland," she called out. "Hey, Roland!"  
She sped her walk into a brisk sprint until she nearly caught up to him.  
He turned and looked surprised to see her.  
"Hey Buttercup," he said with a small smile, "shouldn't you be studying?"  
"Nope!" She said, barely containing her excitement.  
"I mean, maybe later," she said a little more demurely whilst ducking her head.  
She held her hands in front of her to help contain her excitement.  
Shyly looked back up towards him. "I wanted to see what you were up to today."

"I'm afraid I'm a little busy today," he said.  
"Gotta go study for my mid-terms." He patted his Polo messenger bag for emphasis.

Suddenly feeling bad for disturbing him, she tried to play it cool.  
"Oh, right. _Right_. Sorry..."  
She started fidgeting with a lock of her hair and chewing on her lip.  
He patted the top of her head a few times.  
"It's fine. Don't worry your pretty little head."  
He tilted her chin up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
"I'll see you later, alright?"  
Her heart swelled and she swooned a little.  
"Okay," she said with a wide smile.

He gave her a nod and then he went on his way.

As he got further and further, the feeling of rejection crept in and soured her mood.  
Feeling dejected, she walked all the way across campus back to her dorm, thinking that maybe she'll study today too.

When she reached her dorm room she swore under her breath.  
She still had his picture frame with her.

She dropped the plastic bag with the rest of its contents unceremoniously on her bed and turned back to give Roland his gift.

As she walked back across campus, she was glad in a way that she and Roland were at opposite ends.  
Roland did say she was getting a little chubby. And what a better way to lose weight than walking?

When she reached his room, she paused. He was playing music so loud that she could almost hear the lyrics from the other side of the door.

He wouldn't be able to hear her knocking.

She felt bad for just barging in while he was studying. Although, she thought it was a weird way to do so. But to each their own, she guessed.

"Sorry to disturb you," she quickly blurted out as she swung open the door. "I just forgot to give you... this..."

Everything seemed to slow as she took everything in.

Roland...  
And another man...  
_Together in his bed..._

The way they entwined. How their mouths met as they kissed each other.  
It sent a weird sickening burning into her gut.

Roland never kissed her like _that_.

She heard glass shattering at her feet as her arms hung limply at her sides. Her heart felt a similar sharp stabbing pain.

The two seemed to acknowledge her presence and they looked at her with widened eyes.

Roland was the first to scramble out of bed, hiding his balant nudity behind a pillow.  
"Now, Sweetness," he reassured, walking towards her like he was trying to calm some crazed animal. "I can explain everything."

She just stared at him and the other man, who had at this point pulled on some pants and was now making his way past her and down the hall. Clearly not wanting to be in the middle of this.

The sharp pain continued to swell in her chest as she looked at him. Tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

"You're... _gay_?" she asked him in almost a hushed whisper.

He flinched, either at the accusation or the truth, Marianne couldn't tell. His eyes hardened in a way she never saw before.  
" _Bi-sexual_ , thank you very much," he corrected.

"But then... why-?"

And then it hit her.

How could she have been so stupid?

It was never about her.

Marianne left, quiet and dumbstruck. Roland's calls out to her fell on deaf ears.  
Everything seemingly passing by her in a blur.

She found her dorm room in her haze and crawled into the comfort of her bed. Grabbing the corners of her plush comforter, she wrapped herself up like she used to do as a child.

Then she cried.

All of the built up pain and sorrow spilling forth like a river.  
Fresh hot tears flowed down her face as heaving sobs were choked out of her. The aching and sharp pain in her chest tore at her like an embedded knife being tugged out of her heart.

She didn't cry this much since her mother died.

It felt like a piece of her _had_ died.

She was so swallowed by her ocean of grief that she jolted when her phone rang.

It was her sister.

She glared at the screen bitterly.  
_Of course_  it had to be her sister.  
Of all the times she wanted to wallow and be alone...

With a steadying breath, she answered the phone.  
"Hey Mari!" Her overtly-cheerful, _overtly-annoying_ , sister's voice chimed in. "How's your week-"  
"Tell Dad that the engagement is off," she replied curtly. She inwardly berated herself as her voice, low and thick from hurt, betrayed her.  
"What?!" Dawn audibly gasped, "Marianne why-?"  
She didn't let her sister finish her sentence and abruptly hung up the phone.  
For extra measure, she put her phone on airplane mode so as not to have any more interruptions.  
She didn't want to deal with the outside world.  
It could wait.

As she calmed down, and her tears dried up, she went through her phone and started deleting anything and everything that reminded her of _him_. Bitterness swelling up with her tears as each song and photo now brought about a new painful twist to each memory associated with it.

Looking back now, he had looked more sorry about being caught than of actually hurting her feelings. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. She wasted two good years of her life for nothing.

It was all a lie.  
And she fell for it.  
\---

When Bog entered their room, he found Marianne sulking on her bed.  
"What's the matter?" He joked offhandedly. "You get a bad grade on a test?"

He froze in place when she looked up at him.

Cocooned in her purple comforter. Bits of her long hair plastered along her cheeks. Her skin was red and raw from crying.  
But it was her eyes that had stopped him.  
Her eyes shined with a pained expression like she...

_Like she just had her heart broken._

A strange, yet familiar, sympathetic pang stirred in his chest and stomach.  
He knew all too well what this was like.  
Knew all too well how _dangerous_ love can be.  
And now...

"Are... Are ya alright?" he asked tentatively. Shifting a little uncomfortably where he stood.

Despite her disheveled state, she still sent him a sharp glare.  
"Do I look alright?" She said as she shrugged off her comforter.  
He felt unsure whether to move towards her or not.  
"Well, no," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, averting his gaze.  
Knowing this stage of hurt all too well.  
"Do... you want to talk about it?" He looked back at her more earnestly. His sincere question outstretched towards her where he could not physically do so.  
He watched as a traitorous tear trailed down her cheek and she looked away.  
"I...can't," her voice choked out as her lips quivered and more tears slid down her face.  
  
Bog nodded slowly but stayed near the doorway.  
"Would... would you like me to... leave?" he said.

Marianne jerked her head towards Bog.  
She felt absolutely terrible that she was making him uncomfortable.  
"No, no," she insisted. "You can stay. I'm just-"  
Her voice cracked again, much like her heart had done, betraying her fresh hurt.  
She cleared her throat, wiping the stray tears from her face and eyes.  
She let out a long, weary sigh that seemed to draw out the strength in her bones.  
"I need... I just need..." she said more to herself than to him. Looking around the room as if it had the answer she sought.

The room started to feel too small. Like the walls were slowly closing in.  
Like she didn't even want to be in her own skin.  
She felt as fragile and fragmented as a thin sheet of ice.  
She couldn't be in the same room as Bog.

Or with anyone.

She needed to leave.

With more energy than she previously had, she shrugged off her comforter and thumped out of bed.  
Grabbing her toiletry bag from under her bed and shrugging on her backpack.  
"I'll be back later," she rasped as she walked past Bog and headed towards the bathrooms.  
  
***

God, she looked terrible.  
Her eyes are bright red and puffy, her nose too.  
Splashing her face with water, it felt refreshing.  
As she patted her face dry with a paper towel, she was glad she could cover up everything with makeup.

She unzipped her toiletry bag and got to work on her face.  
After applying her primer, then foundation and adding extra concealer around her nose and eyes. She did a very light highlight and contour.  
But then she frowned when she went to apply her eyeshadow.  
It was Roland's most favored color pallet that she had.

Even her makeup reminded her of him.

She gazed back at her reflection and felt like this was the first time she was seeing herself.

_And she didn't like it._

What had she become?

Her hair felt too long. Her clothes didn't quite feel right.  
She didn't feel like herself.  
She _wasn't_ herself.  
She had become someone else.

_Because she fell in love._

"Never again," she declared to her reflection.

Never again will she fall in love.

She glanced at herself with more scrutiny and then got an idea.  
"Well, college _is_ the place for you to find yourself after all," she mused to her reflection.

\---  
It took her a few minutes to find Stephanie's room.  
She tenetively knocked. Feeling awkward as she waited before the door cracked opened and Stephanie poked her head out.  
"Hey, Stephanie," Marianne said, trying not to sound as awkward as she felt. "You wouldn't happen to have hair clippers would you?"  
Stephanie's stoic face cracked a small smile.  
"Need any help?"

\---  
After about a half hour of clipping and snipping, Marianne's long tresses were now scattered around the countertop and bathroom floor. Her hair was now short and wild. It made her feel like a fierce warrior. Proud and strong.

"Thanks, Steph, I really needed this," she said as she admired her new haircut. Grinning from ear to ear, she ran her fingers through her thick hair. Noticing the small upward curls that were starting to form at the edges. "And you said this was a pixie cut?"  
"You're welcome, and more or less, yes," Stephanie said as she casually brushed off the remaining hair off the countertop and into the wastebasket. "And call me Stuff. All my other friends do."

Marianne gave her a small smile in the mirror.  
"Thanks, Stuff," she said with a grin. "Wanna go shopping?"

***  
Marianne had come back to their dorm room later that night.  
When Bog looked at her, his eyes widened.

Her long hair was now a short, wild, unruly mess.  
Black seemed to be her new favorite color.  
Which was fine with him.

She wore a dark blue eyeshadow that brought out her eyes.  
Bog never quite noticed how golden her eyes were until now.

He surmised she _might_ have gone shopping with Stuff.

She looked...  
He felt his cheeks warm and the tips of his ears felt like they were on fire.  
  
Well, if he was honest with himself he'd say she was hot.

But he tucked that thought into a _very_ far-away corner in his mind.

She had a few bags on both of her arms.

He cocked an eyebrow at her.  
He wouldn't dare ask how much she spent. Probably a good hundred or more.  
"Feeling better?" He simply asked.  
She dropped the plastic bags near her desk and turned to him with the most pleased and cocky grin on her face.  
" _Much_ better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am glad to finally be out of my funk. This chapter has been sitting /nearly/ complete for a little while now.  
> I must give kudos to a certain author of a certain fanfic that was inspired by this fanfic. Thank you Lynn_Nexus!  
> Kudos and Comments as always, I love always to hear from you!


	8. A New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne wants things to go back to normal, but that's not quite what she gets.

Bog woke up a little earlier than usual that Monday morning. Sending his mother a quick good morning text before she could call him. He got up from his bed with a slight groan. Giving his neck a satisfactory crack.

He had tried to stay quiet the rest of the weekend, giving Marianne her much-needed space.  
She had _seemed_ fine after her little shopping spree.

But he knew better.

He had heard her muffled crying that night.

He really hated when women cried.  
It tore at his heart.

He had tried to shut out the sound and fall asleep, but it was hard.  
He had wanted to comfort her.  
_Really comfort her._  
Hold her, hug her. Tell her everything would be okay.  
Some part of him had hoped that she would have accepted his sympathy.  
But another part of him feared she would reject his help again.

He had fought with himself throughout the night and had eventually fallen asleep.

But that still didn't stop his worrying the next day.

As he left for breakfast he glanced over to her side of the room. Marianne hadn't left her bed yet. Curled up into her comforter like a large purple marshmallow.

She was most likely missing class, but he couldn't blame her. He would have done the same.

He felt compelled to say something to help her, but the words stuck in his throat. His mind listlessly searching for some comforting words.

"You should probably get up," he blurted out and left.  
He sighed, mentally kicking himself all the way down the hallway for saying something so stupid.  
He probably should have kept his mouth shut.

\---  
Marianne sat up, glaring at the door Bog had just left. She rubbed her eyes and frowned. She didn't sleep well and that always put her in a foul mood.  
Bog's stupid comment wasn't helping either.

Unwrapping herself from her comforter, she stretched and then rubbed the dull ache in her lower back. She must have fallen asleep on top of her textbooks again.

Although, she had gotten so wrapped up in gaming again she had left her textbooks untouched.

She found her laptop shoved into the corner of her bed. No sign of damage, but she scowled as she found its battery completely drained overnight.

To add to her annoyance, her phone rang with another call from Dawn.  
Like all the previous times, she sent her an ' _I'm busy, I'll talk to you later_ ' text.

But later never really came.

As she fumbled out of bed and saw that it was almost noon. She had definitely missed both of her morning classes. Although now she'd have plenty of time to catch up while eating a late breakfast.

She sent Sunny a quick text after she made her bed, retrieving her books from between the sheets and off the floor.  
_'Hey, I totally woke up late. Would it be okay to have another study-buddy session, even though I missed class???'_  
He replied a few minutes later.  
_'I got you. Don't worry. Same time as always?'_  
Marianne grinned and typed back a _'Yep!'_ and then carried on with getting ready. Taking a little extra time to do her makeup.  
Things were starting to get back to normal!

\---  
After a hearty brunch, Marianne went to the library at their usual time with a slight bounce in her step.  
Aside from her sister being annoying, things were looking better.  
Sunny did a double-take when she arrived, his mouth agape. Marianne almost laughed at how wide his eyes were.  
He shut his mouth and averted his staring when she flashed him a grin.  
  
"Uh, so, nice haircut," he said as she got closer.  
"Thanks," she said, ruffling her hair, "I've been wanting to try something new."  
She plopped her bag near their table and started unpacking her things.  
  
"Everything okay?" he asked with slight trepidation.  
"Yeah," she half-lied, "I wasn't feeling well."  
She plopped her new textbook on the table a little too loudly that it made Sunny flinch.  
She watched him nod, but there was a suspicion in his eyes.  
"O-kay," he said slowly and resumed his homework.

In the middle of unpacking, her phone rang with another call from her sister. If she wasn't in the library, she would have screamed in frustration.  
"Why can't she just leave me alone?!" She grunted through gritted teeth.  
At this point, she was about ready to throw away her phone.  
Putting her phone on mute, she shoved it deep into her book bag, not wanting to see or hear another beep from it again.  
"Dawn's just wants to know what's going on," Sunny said.  
Marianne stopped and slowly turned her head back towards him and gave him a scrutinized glare. He looked at her with a mix of sympathy and worry.

She knew it was all too good to be true.

Her nostrils flared as her eyes bore into him. All the built-up frustrations and anger finding a new and unfortunate target.  
"Bet she told you everything, huh?" she spat bitterly.  
Sunny flinched, crossing his arms and turning away from her gaze, seeming fairly uncomfortable.  
"Well?! Out with it!" She stood up and slammed her hands on the table loud enough to draw attention from a few nearby students.

Library be damned, she was pissed at this point.

"Well?" She prompted, "What did she have to say?"  
Sunny's face drooped in defeat, becoming sad and forlorn.  
"She told me that you told her that the engagement is off and that now you're ignoring her." He made the briefest of eye contact before continuing, seeming reluctant to continue.  
"She also wanted to make sure that you're not... hurting yourself."

The weight of Sunny's last words felt like a sucker punch to the gut. Marianne eyes widened, aghast at her sister's way of thinking the worst of her.  
"No, no," she said in almost a daze. Slowly sitting back down, her limbs feeling heavier by the minute. "I would never..."

While it was true that she _did_ cut herself after their mother died, that was many, _many_ years ago.  
Their father had found out, she went to the best therapist money could buy, and then found better ways to cope.

A few stray teardrops fell onto her notebook, bleeding some of the ink together.  
"Is it really that bad?" She asked herself, placing her head in her hands. The weight of everything becoming too much.  
"Does she really think I'd stoop that low?"

The tough exterior she had worked so hard to build up was starting to crack as more and more tears slid down her cheeks, smearing her makeup, black pools ruining her notes.  
She involuntarily sniffled and shoved her notebook aside, hiding her head under her arms.

She felt Sunny's small, but warm, hand give a tentative pat on her shoulder.  
"I'm sorry-" he began to say.  
"I don't want you to feel sorry!"  
She batted his hand away. "Why does everyone have to feel sorry for me?"  
She plopped her head against the desk. "I just want everything to go back to normal."

***  
After his initial comment, Bog mostly avoided talking to Marianne. Tried avoiding her, in general, to not embarrass himself further. And it seemed like she didn't miss his presence.

He noticed, after a few days, she seemed to get back into waking up on time and she looked to be eating enough when he saw her in the cafeteria.

But he still worried when she wouldn't get out of bed for half the day.  
Or when she spent all of her spare time holed up in their room. Usually on her laptop.

Much like tonight.

He would bet money that her grades were failing.

This particular night Marianne had gotten cozy at her desk. Mug of now chilled coffee off to the side, a few empty candy bar wrappers strewn about, all wrapped up in a black fleece blanket. She even sported a new pair of black and pink gaming headphones.

He smirked to himself and wondered if she played MMO's.  
He was on his way to Thang's room for a few hours of Realm of Faircraft. He doubted she would leave and join him, but he had to try _something_.

He shook his head at himself.  
_Why did he care so much?!_

"Um. Hey." He tapped on his desk to grab her attention. "Thang was wondering if you wanted to come to his room to play some games."  
"I'm good," she murmured. Her eyes stayed glued to her screen.  
Bog frowned a little but said nothing, finishing shoving his laptop and headphones into his backpack.  
"Alright," he said with slight disappointment, "I'll be back later."  
"M'kay," she mumbled.

With just a quick walk down the hallway and a flight of stairs, Bog arrived at Thang's.  
He knocked and Thang promptly opened the door, ushering Bog inside with a wide smile on his face.  
"Let the gaming commence!" Thang exclaimed as he raised his arms.

It was of little surprise to Bog that Thang's room looked very much like the one he remembered from their younger days. From the books being arranged alphabetically, to all his notebooks and desk papers being flush together. Even the few figurines displayed had a certain special arrangement only Thang would know.

"Your roommate okay with us gaming tonight?" He asked and Thang shook his head, pointing to the other side of the room.  
"He actually plays too and wanted to join in!"  
Bog turned to see Imp look up from his desk and wave.  
Bog waved back.

"Hey BK," he heard Stuff's voice and turned to find her sitting on Thang's well-made bed.  
He noticed how the sheets were getting wrinkled and quirked a bemused eyebrow as he saw this.  
"Oh, hey," he said. "You're joining in too?"  
Stuff nodded, making brief eye contact.  
"Yeah. Thang roped me into it." Giving a small smirk. "Gotta say it's kinda fun."  
Bog smirked as well.  
"Looks like we're gonna have quite the party tonight. Now, where are the snacks?"

Thang, always one to plan ahead, had an arrangement of snacks laid out on the rustic, but well polished, coffee table. Bog claimed the space on the other end of the coffee table. A pillow 'conveniently' placed near that area.

"I think you'll be happy to know that LightQueen's on tonight too!" Thang said as he grabbed a bowl and filled it with popcorn.  
Bog looked at Thang in surprise.  
"No shit, really?" he said.

Tonight was just getting better and better.

"Yeah. Looks like she's been on all day," Thang said between handfuls of popcorn as he went back to his desk.  
Bog felt an unease in his stomach and frowned. That didn't sound like a normal thing for his friend to do.  
"Huh," Bog noted, and started getting set up.

\---  
It was after Marianne's her third raid when DarkGoblin messaged her.

> [DarkGoblin: You've been playing a lot of RoF lately.]

Marianne glanced at the clock, it was almost two in the morning.

> [LightQueen: Yep.]  
> [DarkGoblin: I mean, it's nice having you around...]  
> [DarkGoblin: How's school going?]

Marianne curled her lip.  
He was acting very clingy tonight.  
She didn't really want to talk.  
But she hadn't talked to him in a while either, so she typed a short quick reply.

> [LightQueen: Good.]

When she didn't say anything for another minute he tried to engage her again.

> [DarkGoblin: You seem quiet tonight...]  
> [LightQueen: I'm fine.]  
> [DarkGoblin: I know you better than that. What happened?]

She grit her teeth.  
_Damn him._  
So fucking persistent...  
She glanced at Bog's side of the room and noticed him missing. Then she remembered he had left to go hang out with Thang.  
Probably to go play poker or something.  
She sighed in resignation.

> [LightQueen: I don't want to get too much into detail. It still hurts too much...]  
> [DarkGoblin: Take all the time you need. I'm here for you.]

Marianne's eyes started to water and she gave a crumpled smile.  
_No!_  
She'd been so good this week!  
Pressing her palms to her eyes, she tried to regain her willpower.  
She wasn't gonna cry again.  
She wasn't gonna cry...

After taking a few deep breaths and calming down she took a few moments to word her response.

> [LightQueen: Someone who was close to me betrayed my trust. It was all a lie. I was lied to about... so, so much. I don't think I can trust anyone again.]

It took him a minute to respond.

> [DarkGoblin: I'm sorry you got hurt, and I hope you can still trust me. I'll always be here for you if you need me.]  
> [LightQueen: Thank you, I think you're one of the few I still trust.]  
> [DarkGoblin: No problem.]  
> [DarkGoblin: And let me tell you a secret. I don't trust many people either ;) ]

\---  
Bog took off his headset and let out all the air he had been holding back. Rubbing his face with his hands.  
Damn it, he wished he could be with her in person.  
     [ImpMan: What's wrong?]  
Bog glanced over to Imp.

"So, it looks like LightQueen is having a tough time." Bog grabbed a soda from the table and gave a couple good glugs. Easing the tightness in his throat.  
Thang swiveled in his chair.  
"What happened?" He asked.  
Bog leaned back against the side of the bed, remaining impassive.  
"It's not my story to say."  
  
Thang nodded in understanding, then scratched his chin a little.  
"Maybe we could cheer her up by pitching in and get her some really sweet armor?"  
Bog shook his head and waved the thought away.  
"Nah, she's pretty much has everything already."  
     [ImpMan: What about a new pet?]  
"Maybe," Bog nodded and started looking at the list of tradable pets in the auction house.  
"I don't think she has a flying mount yet either."  
Thang had an idea and spun excitedly in his chair.  
"Or!-"  
"Or how about you guys come and help me level up?" Stuff said with a glare towards Thang.  
The three men looked at each other with dawning smiles.  
  
\---  
Marianne was getting so bored waiting for the next raid queue to fill up. It was getting so long that she started skimming through her business textbook for tomorrow's class.  
Halfway through reading the next chapter, her friend messaged her again.

> [DarkGoblin: I wanna propose something.]

She raised an eyebrow and quirked a smile. Moving her textbook over to the side.

> [LightQueen: Oh??? You're not getting sentimental on me now are you?]  
> [DarkGoblin: No, no. Never. I'm still the cruel, cold-hearted jackass you know and love.  
> But. Since you're playing RoF more often... Wanna create Alts together?]

Marianne gave a breathy laugh.

> [LightQueen: Lol. You're such a dork :) ]  
> [DarkGoblin: Yeah, I guess I'm that too.]
> 
> [DarkGoblin: Feeling better now?]  
> [LightQueen: Yeah. I am. :) ]

Placing her fingertips on her screen, a fond smile spread across her lips.  
She wished she could hug her friend right now.

She glanced between her textbook and the game. She knew she should get back on track and study some more, but the thought of doing something new with her friends was too great.  
She canceled out of her wait for the next raid and typed DarkGoblin a reply.

> [LightQueen: So, what are you thinking for your alt?]  
> [DarkGoblin: I was thinking of doing something different.]

  
***  
  
"No, Dad. I'm fine. Everything's good," Marianne said to her dad on the phone as she slowly meandered back and forth on her side of the room. Sometimes lightly trailing her fingers along the dividing curtain she set up a few days ago.  
She had finally talked to her sister about two weeks ago that everything was okay.  
Just a small setback.  
Dawn might have taken the hint, but her father didn't.  
Now she had to placate her father, _again_ , this morning.

"Roland seems like a good man," his voice filled with concern. "Are you sure that you want this?"  
Marianne bit her lip in frustration.

She hadn't told her family about the fact that Roland had cheated on her.  
Or how it was all just a lie to get to her father's company.  
Or how he never loved her in the first place.  
The pain was still too much.  
But she wished she could.

"Yep, I'm sure." She ended with a weary sigh. "Besides, I need to focus more on my studies."

She could tell he wanted to add to the conversation but he instead gave a resigned sigh.  
"I just want to see you happy," he said rather forlornly.  
"I'm happy," she blurted out rather quickly, somewhat surprising herself in the process.  
"I'm happy," she said again more to herself.

He gave a small unconvinced hum before changing subjects.  
"Did you get your sister's care package yet?"  
Marianne barked a surprised laugh.  
"Another one?!" She said, giving a wry smile. "I'm still working on the last one."  
She went to the table and blindly rummaged for a cookie and took a huge bite.  
She gave a small moan of pleasure.  
But then stopped when realized it wasn't one of her sister's signature double-chocolate chocolate-chip cookies.  
It was more like a really soft, decadent gingerbread cookie.

And, _Oh my god_ , they were _so good._

She took a couple more chews then regrettably forced her bite down.  
"Tell Dawn I'm sure I'll love whatever she gives me this time!" She said a little rushed.  
"Gotta go, love you, talk to you later!" Then quickly ended the call.

Glancing back towards their shared table, she noticed a box of Bog's cookies left on her side.  
Feeling guilty, she filled the vacant space with one of her own as an apology.

Then she sat back at her desk to resume 'studying.' She had finished some of her homework but then got so into her new Alt character. Plus, she had yet to get into Realm of Faircraft's new expansion!

Just as Marianne sat down, there was an insistent knocking on the door.  
She eyed the door suspiciously.  
"Coming," she called out as she got back up. Grabbing and hiding her small switchblade off the desk, hiding it behind her back.  
  
Just in case.

When she opened the door, her jaw dropped.  
"Suprise!" Dawn said as she held out a small box with a beaming smile.  
Marianne quickly pocketed the knife and absentmindedly took the box, continuing to stare at her sister.  
Dawn's face then shifted to glee and worry.  
"Oh my god," she said glancing up and down Marianne's form. "What happened to your hair?! And your... Everything!" Gesturing wildly to her makeup and clothing.  
Marianne blinked a few times, regaining her composure.  
"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up." She tucked the box under her arm and gave her sister a scrutinous look.  
"First of all, what are _you_ doing _here?_ "

Her sister gave her a mischievous smile in return.  
One that Marianne _really_ didn't like.  
"I live here now!" Dawn said excitedly.  
"Wait, what?" Marianne said, taken aback.

Marianne jumped out of her skin and practically shrieked when she was poked on her side.  
"S'cuse me," Bog grumbled sleepily and slipped between the two women, heading towards the bathrooms.  
Marianne internally thanked whatever gods were there that Bog was fully dressed this morning.  
The last thing she needed was more problems.

"Wait. Who's _he_?" Dawn asked with increased curiosity. Craning her head down the hallway as she watched him leave.  
Marianne cringed.  
_Fuck._ She thought. She never told Dawn the truth.  
  
"Don't be rude," Marianne chastised, poking Dawn in the stomach, bringing her sister's focus back onto herself.  
"Well, who is he?"  
Marianne sighed.  
Well, no going back now.  
"That. Is Bog. _My roommate._ " She enunciated the last part.  
Dawn made a slight face.  
" _Bog?_ "  
"It's a nickname," Marianne sighed.  
Dawn nodded in understanding, but then frowned.  
"But, then, what happened to-"  
"Don't say his name!" Marianne said a little more harshly than necessary, holding up a hand to stop her.  
Dawn flinched, involuntarily taking a step back.  
"Sorry," Marianne apologized, dropping her hand. "I just... don't want to talk about this _here_."  


Marianne then 'treated' her sister to some lunch. Although, Dawn had surprised her with a cafe card of her own.  
They both laughed it off, finding a nice booth seat near the windows after grabbing their meals.

Dawn refused to give any details until Marianne talked about what had happened. And it took Marianne great effort to open up about Roland's cheating.  
She didn't exactly tell _all_ the details. Just enough for her to get the idea.

After everything was said, Dawn gave her sister's hand a squeeze.  
"I'm sorry that had happened to you," she said.  
Not wanting to make eye contact, Marianne gazed out the window and mumbled, "Yeah, me too."  
Dawn tilted her head in confusion.

But then it was Marianne's turn to grill her sister.  
Getting right to the point, she turned back to her sister.  
"So." She crossed her arms for emphasis. "Why are you here?"  
She was answered with a coy smile.  
"Going to school, silly." Dawn giggled.  
" _Right_ ," Marianne deadpanned, raising an eyebrow. "Doing what exactly?"

Dawn seemed more than happy to share.  
  
"So, Sunny and I have been talking a lot, and he got me into start taking some online courses for a general degree. He recommended getting all the _boring_ classes out of the way, then transfer to something I _really_ like.--"  
Marianne started tuning out the conversation when Dawn started rambling on and on about the numerous classes she had to choose from. Instead, focusing more on her double bacon cheeseburger and fries.  
She still paid attention as Dawn continued to explain the more intricate details on how she was able to transfer to the campus since it was still early in the semester.  
"--But," Dawn finally ended with, "I think I want to focus on Music and Dance, like with Sunny."

Marianne took another bite of her cheeseburger before speaking again.  
"Uh huh," she said after swallowing. "And Dad knows your here?"  
"Yep!" Dawn said and then started digging into her own salad.  
Marianne didn't quite trust her answer. But then she remembered her dad's voice hinted at something when she mentioned Dawn's next care package.  
She sighed.

She always seemed to be the last to know about anything.

Dawn seemed suddenly interested in something, _or someone_. Intently focused towards the cafeteria entrance.  
Marianne paled as she watched Bog just enter the cafe.  
  
He looked more well-groomed than this morning. His hair had just the right amount of shine to suggest he had just gotten out of the showers. Wearing his signature leather jacket and jeans outfit with a thermal shirt this brisk fall afternoon.  
  
Marianne painfully choked down her food.  
"No, Dawn. No!"  
She leaned across the table and slapped Dawn on the shoulder, sending her a warning glare.  
Dawn yelped, wincing in pain.  
"But why not?" she whined, briskly rubbing her shoulder. "He's hot!"  
Marianne rolled her eyes.  
"And so are about the fifty million other guys you've said about before."  
Dawn gave her a salacious look.  
"Really?" She teased. "Fifty million?"  
Marianne slumped in her booth seat.  
"That's what it feels like at least," she grumbled.

"But you gotta admit," Dawn mused, eyes briefly darting out towards the crowd. "He _does_ have a sort of bad boy look."  
Marianne sighed yet again.  
She realized she was sighing a lot more lately.  
"He probably _is_ a bad boy," she said, trying to dissuade her sister.  
Dawn gave an interested ' _Ooh_ ' and Marianne gave her an annoyed glare.  
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Dawn joked, waving it off. "Jeez, when did you become such a grump?"

They ate together in silence for a few minutes enjoying each other's presence until Dawn picked the conversation back up.  
"So what about you?" She asked between sips of her soda.  
Marianne frowned at her questioning tone.  
"What about me?" She asked defensively.  
"You and Bog?" Dawn's mouth formed a more and more mischievous grin with every passing second.  
Marianne a raised eyebrow as she ate.  
  
Dawn then sighed and leaned in closer so she could whisper.  
"Maybe you two could... you know..."  
She then made a quick sexual gesture and Marianne practically choked.  
"What?!" Marianne coughed, pounding her chest a few times.  
Her sister was going to be the death of her!  
  
When she finally cleared her throat, she looked at her sister in bewilderment.  
"Me and him?! You mean like, just _go and fuck my roommate?_ "

Dawn just gave her a lecherous smile and nodded.

"Dawn," she said incredulously. "I don't know what kind of world you came from, but I _just_ ended my engagement with Roland."  
"But he cheated on you!" Dawn argued. "You at least deserve someone nicer!"  
Marianne pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a frustrated huff.  
"Okay, even if that is true," she calmly added, "I don't think Bog likes me."  
  
Dawn's eyes widened.  
"What? No!" Dawn reached across the table and grabbed her sister's hand. "No! Why would you say that?! You're totally... Likable!"  
Marianne gave a small unconvinced laugh and slipped her hand out Dawn's grasp.  
"Really?" She said and then crossed her arms.  
"Okay. Here are a few reasons why he's not for me," she said, and then started counting on her fingers.  
"He's not my type,-"  
"You don't know that," Dawn interjected.  
Marianne gave her a glare.  
"He's a slob," she continued.  
"So aren't all men!"  
"He barely talks to me,--"  
"So go say hi!"  
"The last time we spent time together, I threw up all over his shoes!"  
"Ew." Dawn wrinkled her nose in disgust and then said nothing else after.

Marianne scanned the cafeteria and found Bog sitting towards the other end eating a large slice of pizza.  
He must have felt her staring and locked eyes with hers.  
He gave her an acknowledging nod and a small wave and she felt a jolt run through her.  
And then she was brought back to the memory of the morning when she first saw him shirtless.  
How all those feelings came rushing back now.

Her face felt flush and she shifted uncomfortably shift in her seat.  
"He also makes me feel... weird." She admitted.  
"Weird in what way?" Dawn asked.  
She paused from sipping her soda and leaned in to listen.  
Marianne felt silly about talking about her feelings. She wrung her hands to try to calm her... whatever this was.  
"I don't know..." Marianne said, "Nervous?"  
She tried grasping for a word that described how she felt around him.  
"I... can't quite describe it. Warm and tingly? But, also frustrated and angry?"  
Dawn smiled knowingly, squinting her eyes in thought.  
"Hmm," she mused. "That sounds an awful lot like attraction to me."  
  
Marianne recoiled slightly.  
"What? No it's not! It's--"  
  
But then she stopped and her heart gave a thud at the thought.

Oh God, is that what was happening? Was she falling for Bog?!  
Was this a rebound? Is this what it felt like???

 _No_ , she thought to herself, she wasn't going to do this again!  
She didn't want to get hurt again. She made a promise to herself!  
  
Marianne grit her teeth and slammed her hands on the table.  
" _No._ " She said with determination. "I need to focus on my studies! And now, so should you!"  
Dawn cowered under her sister's glare and nodded meekly.  
"Yes Ma'am," she whimpered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy! What a chapter.  
> Well, it felt more like a few chapters merged into one.  
> Kudos and comments, please!


	9. Sunny Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dawn and Sunny finally meet, as well as Dawn's new roommate!

_Oh my gosh_ , Dawn thought, _this was going to be the best day ever!_  
  
Because she was going to finally meet Sunny!  
_  
In person!_

She was so excited she could burst!  
  
It was going to be _so awesome!_

She had finished having lunch with Marianne and things were mostly okay there.  
She would totally beat up Roland the next time she saw him.

But right now, it was time to part-ay!  
  
And _that_ required Sunny.

He had told her to meet him at 'The Arbetorium'.

Whatever that was.

Even though she was super excited to see Sunny, she grumbled at how far she had to walk.  
This place was larger than she had thought. And every red brick building she passed seemed to look like she was passing the same library over and over.

She was glad Sunny was going to give her a tour because she felt like she was going to get lost.  
She had to often consult the map of the school on her phone to see if she had taken a wrong turn.

Fortunately, she was still going in the right direction.

Her phone then conveniently dinged with a message from Sunny.  
_'Did you get lost?'_ he had written.  
She smiled to herself as she typed her reply.  
_'I'm almost there!'_

She continued to smile as she walked down the sandy dirt path that slowly meandered along a lazy stream.  
They had been talking almost every day to the point where it seemed like they've known each other for-ever!

It was crazy!

And awesome!

She looked up from her phone to see that she arrived at her destination and frowned when she didn't see any building. Just an archway and a whole bunch of trees.

"Oh," she said when she saw a sign that said 'University of Maine Arboretum'.  
"Why the hell didn't he just say the park with a bunch of trees? Jeez!"  
  
A bubble of laughter burst from her as she excitedly entered the area looking for Sunny.

\---  
Sunny was practically shaking as the time to meet Dawn drew nearer.  
After receiving Dawn's text saying she was here that morning, he could barely focus on anything.

He had tried to play it cool when he saw Marianne earlier that day, even though he almost spilled.  
She had said good morning and he jumped and panicked saying "I'm fine! Nothing wrong here!" Mariane then had quirked an eyebrow at him and he had then given the excuse that he had a lot on his mind today. Then she had nodded, saying nothing after.

Dawn was here!  
_And it was killing him!_  
  
Every single passing second seemed to drag on for an eternity.

His phone buzzed in his hand and he almost fell into the fountain he was perched upon.

He became slightly disappointed when he read it was from Marianne.  
And she didn't seem too happy.  
_'You knew she was coming. Why didn't you tell me?!'_  
He cringed and replied,  
_'It was supposed to be a surprise... Srry!'_

He looked at his clock again.  
Texting Marianne had saved about... a minute from Sunny's tortuous wait.  
He groaned for about the millionth time.

Maybe he should have asked her to meet up in the cafeteria or something closer to inside campus?

But, he wanted his first time meeting her to be special.

And first impressions count!

Even though they met on the phone already... And have been talking almost every day.  
But still!

He heard the crunching of gravel and looked up.

And there she was.

Her sunshine blonde waves were pinned to her head with tiny cute clips.  
Her sky blue eyes sparkled with joy. Her radiant smile brighter than the sun.  
Sunny swallowed when he noticed how her light blue dress exposed her shoulders.  
  
God damn, this girl looked hot without even trying!

"Oh my gosh! Hi!" Dawn gushed, shyly waving as she moved closer.  
When he jumped down from his seat, she did a sort of double-take.

"You're... a lot shorter than I was expecting," she said.

"Hey, I'm not short," he argued, "I'm fun sized."

Dawn laughed so hard she did a cute little snort.

Then she lifted her eyebrows and grinned.  
"You ready?" she said and held her hand out.  
He smirked as he grasped onto her wrist.  
"Always..."

They slid their palms down their wrists, shook hands, slid their hands into a fist bump.  
Their fluid hand movements then fumbled midway as Dawn and Sunny then did different hand gestures.

"Wait," Dawn said. "Isn't it fistbump, hot-potato, then slide, then the spirit fingers?"  
Sunny chuckled.  
"We'll get it eventually now that we can practice in-person."

Sunny's heart leaped in his chest as he was tightly embraced.  
"This is going to be the best day ever!" Dawn squealed.

Sunny gave a wistful sigh, easing into her hug.  
"It already is," he said with a warm smile.

Dawn let go sooner than Sunny would have liked and put her hands on her hips with excited determination.  
"Okay!" She said, "I'm ready for my tour. Where to first?"

"Alright," he said. "Let's start here."  
He gave a grand flourish with his hand towards the canopy above them.  
"This is the Arboretum," he stated.  
"Forest management and environmental science majors usually work and study here. There are a few trails that pass through here that the bikers and joggers use."

Dawn perked up.  
"Ooh, exciting! Are we gonna walk around here?!"

Sunny shrugged.  
"If you wanted to. Although, the trails span for a few miles."

Dawn made a face of displeasure, remembering how much she walked already.  
"I'd rather not sweat in this outfit."

"Alright," he then said. "Maybe head back through the campus then?" he said and offered his arm.  
She accepted his arm gracefully.  
"So, where to?" She asked.

"I was thinking of starting with the cafeteria. Get us something to eat."  
"Oh, I already had lunch with Marianne."

Sunny dramatically clutched his chest, widening his eyes in disbelief.  
"And you didn't invite _me?!_ " He said with a mock hurt that made Dawn giggle.

She waved it off.  
"We were talking about girly stuff," she said. "You wouldn't have been interested."

"Fair enough," he said as they walked out of the Arbetorium. "How about I show you the most important place first."  
"The malls?" She asked excitedly.  
"The library," he said.

Dawn looked as displeased as a toddler being told to eat their vegetables and Sunny had to laugh.  
"Relax girl, it's not as bad as you think," he said. "They even have a section where you can rent out magazines."

Dawn perked back up again.  
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"  
She let go of Sunny's arm and dashed ahead. Then stopped when she realized she didn't know where to go.  
Sunny shook his head with a smile and Dawn laughed at herself.  
  
Together they walked back through the campus and started with the library.  
Dawn found the magazine selection rather impressive. There was also an adult fiction section she would browse through at a later date.

Sunny then acquainted her with each of the many campus buildings, giving a brief history or fact that Dawn was sure she would forget when all was said and done.

She became disappointed when he told her that the dance and art studios were in a different location. But her disappointment vanished when Sunny started talking about his upcoming music writing assignment with the idea of her assisting.

Sunny ended their tour with her dorm building, along with helping her get her things up to her room. Dawn decided to cart one of her luggage bags whereas Sunny grabbed two of her heavier boxes.

Dawn was surprised at how strong Sunny was, despite his size. His biceps were actually pretty decent that Dawn made a comment.  
" _Dang_ , you got some muscles."  
Sunny joked, saying, "Gotta stay strong so I can lift my dance partners."  
Dawn felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she laughed.  
She held the door for Sunny to enter.

"So, you've got the Common room. Complete with a kitchen and a common room."  
He shrugged his shoulder to the far corner where Dawn could see a rather paltry kitchen by her standards.  
She got so caught up in thinking about whether she could bake that she almost missed him say, "There are bathrooms and showers on each floor."

Sunny gave a nod of thanks as she pushed the elevator buttons for him.

They found her room on the third floor with very little hassle.  
He set the first set of boxes on the floor next to her room.  
As they went back down and out through the common room Sunny made a comment.  
"Oh. Don't be surprised if you see your neighbors walking around half-naked in the morning."

Dawn blinked in surprise.  
"Wait. Are the bathrooms are co-ed?!"  
"The showers are anyway." He said, giving her a sly wink.  
She looked away with a blush rising to her cheeks, giggling.

"It sucks we're not in the same dorm building," she said.  
With an off-handed shrug, he said, "Maybe next semester."

With the last of her boxes near her room, Sunny sighed.  
"I guess this ends our tour for today," Sunny said with a slight hint of sadness.  
  
Dawn nodded with a slight pout.  
"Maybe we could have a party later tonight?" Dawn hinted.  
  
His face cracked into a boyish smile.  
"Sounds like a great idea!" he said with more energy and enthusiasm in his voice. "I'll whip something up in a few hours."

Dawn crushed Sunny in a bear hug before he turned to leave.  
"Oh my gosh, you are the best friend ever!"  
He hugged back just as hard before letting go.  
"I'll call you once I figure stuff out, okay?"  
He then rubbed the back of his head, looking away, reluctant to leave.  
"Until then," he said, "I'll... uh, leave you to unpacking."

"Okay," Dawn said a little wistfully as he watched him leave, "Later!"

Dawn stared at the luggage bags and boxes stacked on the floor with disdain. She probably should have done this step _first_ , but meeting Sunny was her highest priority!  
Now, she can relax and...

Her phone buzzed with a text from her sister.  
_'Don't forget to do your homework...'_  
Dawn rolled her eyes and typed a reply.  
_'Okay Dad... ;p_  
_BTW, you wanna help me unpack?'_  
It felt like forever until she received a reply.  
_'No.'_  
_'_ Pwease _???'_  
Dawn added a bunch of sad emoji's for extra measure.  
_'I'm in class rn. Besides, this'll be a great way for you and your roommate to bond.'  
'Okay...'_

She can relax _after_ she finishes her homework.

But first, she has to unpack.  
And meet her new roommate.  
And _then_ go back out and meet up with Sunny tonight.

Ugh... So much to do!

She hoped her roommate would be nice. Or at least not a slob...

She tentatively knocked and the door swung open to a petite, rounded woman. Maybe a few years older than her. Although, she couldn't quite tell due to rather her cherubic face.

"Oh, you must be Dawn," she said as she gave Dawn a once over. "You're later than I was expecting you to arrive."  
Dawn ducked her head slightly and gave an apologetic smile.  
"Yeah, sorry about that. I was meeting some friends before coming here. Your name's Violet, right?"

The woman in question adjusted her horn-rimmed glasses quickly.  
"Yes it is," she said matter of factly.  
"Is that also your favorite color?" Dawn joked.  
"No," Violet said flatly. "If I had a dollar for every time someone said that, I'd be able to pay off my student loans and then some."

Dawn giggled as she walked inside and glanced around the room.  
  
Her side was barren.  
But not for long!

Violet's side was neat and tidy with a pastel pink color scheme. The few wall scrolls that added some flair to her walls depicted some cute cartoons. She also had some cute figurines that matched on her desk.  
A couple of stuffed animals lined the bed near her pillows.  
  
One particularly round and squishy white bunny caught her eye.

"Oh my gosh," she squealed as she picked up the bunny off her bed. "You're as cute as this bunny plushy!"

Violet blushed, becoming rather meek and shy.  
"Oh no," she denied, bashfully plucking at one of her brown curls, "No, I'm not."

Dawn squinted her eyes at her, giving a playful hum of disbelief.  
"I beg to differ."

Violet did a shy laugh and Dawn grinned, placing the bunny back in its respectful place.  
"Think you can help me bring the rest of this stuff in?" Dawn asked.  
"Sure," Violet said.

After a few minutes of lugging and boring work. Dawn wanted to know all about her new roommate as much as possible.

Homework could wait.

Most of her boxes were unloaded onto her bed, sorting everything into piles.  
Half of her clothes were in her drawers and she put the rest back into her luggage bags.

She might have brought too much now that she thought about it.

She smiled when she found her iPod and mini speaker.  
She turned to Violet and motioned to her speaker.  
"So what kind of music do you like? Mind if I play something?"  
Violet shrugged.  
"I listen to mostly anything, mostly J-pop. Although, could it be something instrumental while I study?"

Dawn beamed.  
They were going to get along just fine.  
  
"Sure thing!" she said and put on some instrumental pop music.

***  
About an hour later Dawn's phone rang with a call from Sunny.  
"Hello," she said, happily answering the phone.  
"Hey Dawn," he said. "You ready to party?"  
She cracked a smile.  
"I sure am!"  
"Great!" He said. "Head on over to Riverside's common room."  
"Of course!" she said, her excited smile warming her cheeks.  
  
She then asked, "Can I bring a few friends? Maybe my sister too?"  
"The more the merrier," he said. "See ya soon."  
"Kay, bye!"

Dawn happily hung up the phone and hummed as she grabbed her outfit she had already set aside for the party and looked over towards Violet.

"Hey Violet, wanna go to a party?"  
Violet startled, looking up from her textbook.  
"What?" she said, a little taken aback.

"Wanna go to a party?" Dawn asked again a little more slowly.

Violet squinted, looking unsure.  
"What kind of party?" she then asked.

Dawn gave Violet a confident grin and said, "The best kind."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. Glob you guys. This chapter took for-ever!  
> Not to mention I finally ended up dividing it into two.  
> So, the next chapter will continue shortly after this one.
> 
> Spam those kudos and comments!


	10. The Betting Pool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dawn and friends make a bet, while Marianne and Bog deal with Roland trying to win Marianne back.

Dawn stood in Marianne's dorm, arms crossed, mouth in a tight line, staring at her sister who had failed to budge from her seat for about a ten minutes now.

"C'mon Marianne, let's go!" Dawn said for what felt like the millionth time. "Violet's waiting!"

"Who?" Marianne asked, her eyes still fixed to her laptop.

Dawn gave a short huff of frustration.  
"My roommate," she said.

She then pulled the outfit she had picked out for her and plopped it onto her lap.  
"Look," she tried to persuade. "You don't even have to decide what to wear. Now, will you hurry up and get ready?!"

Marianne sent an irritated glare towards Dawn after she threw the clothes back onto the bed.  
"I never said I would join you," she said firmly and went back to focusing on her laptop.

Dawn let out a frustrated groan.  
"Come on," she persisted. "You can't just hole yourself in your room studying. You gotta live a little!"

She noticed the corner of her sister's lip quirked a small smile.  
"Who said I was doing homework?" Marianne commented.

Dawn, now curious as to whatever the hell she was really doing, peered over Marianne's shoulder to see she was playing a game.

A very familiar game that Marianne had failed to get Dawn into when they were younger.

Dawn now was furious.

"Don't tell me you're playing _that game_  again?" Dawn said with a hint of disgust.

Marianne then leered at Dawn from over her shoulder.  
"It's not _just a game_ ," she argued. "I play with my friends and we socialize."

Dawn then went from frustrated to coy.  
"Like that dark and mysterious stranger?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Her sister gave a shy smile that intrigued Dawn.

"He's more of a friend now," Marianne said with a telltale blush that told Dawn that there was something more to her words. "I talked to him not that long ago."

"Oh come on now," Dawn said. "You once got so mad at that guy that you punched a hole in the wall."

Marianne then crossed her arms and gave a playful smile.  
"I fixed the hole didn't I?" Marianne said, then they both laughed.

Dawn's intrigued smile wavered to a frown of concern.  
"Back to my first question; Have you been playing this game in your free time?"

Marianne at first didn't say anything, but Dawn remained firm, until finally, Marianne caved in with a sheepish, "Maybe?"

Dawn sighed, both in resignation and anger.  
"Okay, now I _have_ to get you out of this room."

Marianne let out a yelp of surprise as Dawn then proceeded to pull Marianne's chair towards the door.  
"No," Marianne whined, "I'm trying to level up!"

"You can level up later!" She argued back.

Dawn actually found it surprisingly hard to budge her sister as she gripped her desk for dear life.  
"Have you been working out?" Dawn asked, giving her sister's bicep a small feel.

"Just a little," Marianne grunted, staying firm in her grip.

"Maybe we should go to yoga together sometime," Dawn commented and her sister let out a discouraging groan.

The sound of the door clicking and swinging open perked Dawn's ears and she thought Bog had perfect timing.

"Oh, hey Boggy!" she said as she turned towards him, quickly letting go of the chair.

She heard Marianne let out a surprised cry, as well as a thump from the chair, and a few small clatters and inwardly smirked.

Bog stood in the doorway and looked between the two of them warily.

"Um, It's Bog," he said cautiously.

Dawn heard the squeak of the desk chair turning and a frustrated huff from her sister.  
"Please, don't mind my sister," Marianne said. "In fact, don't even listen to her. _At all!_ "

Dawn looked back to see she was receiving a well-directed glare. To which she playfully stuck her tongue out in retaliation before turning back to Bog.

"Hi, I'm Dawn," she greeted, holding her hand out. "And, don't listen to my sister."

She added in a flirtatious wink.

As Bog cautiously shook her hand, she found it odd when he remained unmoved.

Much like someone else who wouldn't come with her to the party that she should have been at about fifteen minutes ago!

Being this up close to Bog, She realized that Bog was almost abnormally tall. Probably close to seven feet. He also exuded a subtle inner strength she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She took note as she shook his hand the intricate details of the tattoos that went up his arms and continued under his shirt. She also admired the slight bulge of defined muscles beneath his well-fitted shirt.

His clothing choice wasn't bad either; dark shirt, dark jeans. She had seen him wear a leather jacket before, and she wouldn't be surprised if he said he owned a motorcycle too.

It wasn't quite her cup of tea, but she could see how he'd easily be able to attract women.

Unless Marianne had an amazing poker face, Dawn was dumbfounded at how she wasn't already drooling and fawning over this guy!

Dawn decided to up her game by giving a slight, but cute, pout.  
"Boggy-"  
"Bog," he enunciated.

Dawn shrugged it off, getting back to her point.  
"Would you mind helping me get my sister to socialize?"  
She even batted her eyes at him, acting as innocent as she possibly could.  
"She's been playing games nonstop," she added.

Marianne then angrily piped in, "At least I do my homework!"

Dawn cringed while Bog smirked at her.

"Now, I dun't want ter get between siblings," Bog said before adding,  
"But, Marianne, you really should get out of our room more."

Marianne sighed in defeat.  
"Alright, fine!" She said. "I'll go to your stupid party..."

Dawn cheered with a celebratory fist-pump.

"However!" Bog then held up a finger with a smirk towards Dawn. " _You_ shouldn't put off yer assignments."

Dawn shrieked in surprise when she became trapped in a rough headlock by Marianne.  
"See, Dawn?" Marianne said with a playful yet wicked grin. "Even _Bog_ says you need to do your homework."

Dawn heard Bog break out into laughter while she was then assaulted with a playful, yet rough, noogie that didn't stop until she gave in.

"Okay, okay!" Dawn finally relented. "I'll go do my homework!"

Of course, Dawn wouldn't do her homework until _after_ the party.

***  
While Dawn fixed her mess of a hairstyle, her sister quietly grumbled in an adjacent bathroom stall as she was changing into something more presentable than yoga pants and a ratty t-shirt with holes in it.

After applying the finishing touches, she sent Sunny a selfie with an 'Almost ready' caption.

He sent back a pic of what looked like to be some sort of small turntable.  
_'Brought the best out for you.'_  
Dawn let out a small smile and felt a blush rise to her cheeks.  
      _'OMG so AWESOME! Can't wait!!!'_

She put her phone away and leaned against the bathroom counter.

Dawn was surprised when, after getting her sister to finally come along, that Bog had wanted to tag along as well, saying that he's always down for a drink.

But Dawn secretly hoped that it was to keep Marianne company.

In the meantime, he was waiting in the common room with Violet.

Dawn smirked to herself as she remembered how Violet had become more shy and demure in Bog's presence after she had waved away Dawn's profuse apology.  
Stating that she didn't mind waiting a little longer and to take as long they needed.

All with a telltale blush to her cheeks and shy glances towards Bog.

Whereas Bog, at that point, had kicked back in a chair, propping his long legs out onto the coffee table, and had begun digging at the dirt under his nails with a small pocket knife.

Which Dawn had thought was a little barbaric and gross.

She had given Violet a knowing wink and a coy smile, which had made Violet blush even more.  
"I'll be back down sooner or later," she had said and gone back upstairs to fix her hair.

When Marianne finally popped out of the bathroom stall, Dawn gave a cursory glance at the outfit she had picked out; a dark rose crop top, with dark brown leggings, and a leather cord bracelet.

Dawn frowned at her sister's choice in combat boots, but then shrugged it off.

At least she was coming to the party.

"You know, you're new wardrobe is... not what I'm used to working with," Dawn commented. "But, I gotta say, the new look's growing on me."

Dawn watched as Marianne admired herself in the mirror, giving her hair a quick scruff.  
"I think you did pretty well," Marianne admitted, giving herself one final once-over. "I just might make this one of my regular outfits."

***  
When they entered, the Riverside common room was extremely crowded.  
And bright.

Dawn wasn't sure what kind of stunts Sunny had to pull to set up a small DJ booth, with strobe lights and a huge speaker, but she was beyond impressed.

Speaking of Sunny, he was in the DJ booth talking to a very trendy looking hipster.

Most of the common room furniture was moved to the periphery to make a makeshift dance floor. Which was swarmed with people.

Dawn had to skirt around the crowd to get to the small DJ platform.

When she finally arrived, Sunny smiled and gave her a nod towards the guy beside him.  
"Hey, this is Issac," he said. "But you can call him Imp. Don't worry if he doesn't say anything, he's mute."

"Hi," Dawn said, slowly and loudly enunciated her words as they shook hands, "Nice to meet you!"

Imp made a face of displeasure.

Sunny chuckled as Imp did something with his hands towards Sunny.  
"He says he's mute, not deaf."

Dawn cringed and whispered, "Sorry!"

Imp did a sort of raspy chuckle and did a few more signs to Sunny.  
Sunny smirked and said, "He says 'I don't bite. _Much_ '."

Dawn blushed a little as Imp gave her a wink.

Imp then did a few more signs towards Sunny, who waved it off, saying "Yeah, yeah..."

Dawn looked between the two, "What'd he say?" she asked.

Sunny gave a wave of dismissal and said, "Nothing important."

With a small hop off the stage, he offered his hand towards her.  
"Wanna dance?" he asked her with a small boyish smirk, which made her stomach get all fluttery.

"You know it!" Dawn said excitedly, taking his hand eagerly. She glanced over towards everyone else and quickly retracted her hand, "Just a sec..."

She motioned for Sunny to find a place on the dancefloor as she went back towards the rest of the group.

Dawn frowned as everyone else seemed to settle into being wallflowers.

Bog was at least drinking and looked like he was enjoying himself. Marianne seemed quite the opposite, slumped against the wall with her arms crossed. And Violet, who looked to be out of her element, stood near Bog and Marianne, fiddling with her large, yet cute, purse.

Dawn grabbed her sister by the wrist and dragged her into the crowd of dancers.

Marianne yelped in surprise, then tried to free her hand.  
"Wait, Dawn-" She protested.

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Dawn reassured. "I'll even request our favorite song."

Marianne rolled her eyes but cracked an ever-broadening smile.  
"Ugh, No!" Marianne playfully groaned. "Not _that_ one!"

Dawn unwavering smile brightened.  
She was glad she could get her sister to smile again.

"That's the spirit!" She said. "Now c'mon, show me your moves!"

Dawn looked towards the other two and waved them over.  
"You too, Violet and Bog!"

They both then looked at her, startled, either at their names being called or the idea of joining them on the dance floor.

When neither of them budged, Dawn put her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow.  
"What's a dance party without some dancing?" Dawn rhetorically asked.  
"Definitely _not_ a party."

Violet seemed to warm up to the idea, giving a small smile she joined Dawn and Marianne.

Bog, feeling very reluctant to join as these three women stared at him, held his solo cup a little more closely to his chest.

"Bog, come on!" Dawn persisted.

Marianne turned towards him, also putting a hands on her hips.

"Yeah Bog. What's the matter?" She goaded with a quirk of an eyebrow and a smirk. "You've never danced before?"

Bog felt a slight blush rise to his cheeks.  
"I-I have," he said a little nervously and mentally kicked himself.

 _'Don't need the girls to think I'm a total loser_ _,'_  he thought.

An unease in his stomach squirmed as Dawn and Marianne quickly glanced at each other mischievously and practically sauntered over towards him.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" Dawn said with a semi-sultry look.  
"Yeah, let's go!" Marianne added giving her own semi-desirous look that agitated his stomach differently.

Together, with Dawn wrapping herself on one arm and Marianne on the other, they tugged him towards the dance floor.

Bog had given them some slight resistance at first, but then allowed to be brought to the middle of the dance floor. Marianne was surprisingly stronger than he'd originally thought.

Also, he was sure they'd pester him further until he gave in any way.

He'd only dance for one song.  
Just one!  
  
But he wouldn't really dance. Blaming it on trying not to spill his drink.

Everyone met Sunny and gathered in a small close-knit circle towards the center of the floor. They all danced in their own way as the music pulsed through their feet and filled their ears with upbeat, too-cheerful, electronic dance music.

Bog hoped he could request a few songs.  
He wasn't really one for this raver crap.

He swayed to the music as he drank and watched everyone else dance. Dawn and Sunny seemed to be quite the couple as they spun and weaved around each other effortlessly.

Marianne bobbed and weaved as if she were a skilled dancer.

"You take dance lessons?" He asked her half-jokingly.  
She did some sort of pirouette and gave him a smirk.

She started to say something when she was suddenly knocked forward into his chest.

Bog felt a jolt as his cold drink splashed down the front of his shirt.

"Oh my gosh," she gasped with widening eyes, "I'm so sorry!"  
She snapped her head back to yell, "Dawn! Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry!" He heard Dawn yell back then laugh.  
_  
Probably to laugh at him._

Marianne gave a frustrated sigh.  
"I'm so sorry," she apologized again. "First your shoes, now your shirt."

He shrugged it off.  
"S'Alright," he joked, "You can't stain black."

"No, it's not alright," she insisted with a frown. "Here!"

Bog froze as Marianne brought herself flush against him and started blotting out the mess with her own shirt.  
He gulped as the way she pulled at the fabric gave him brief glimpses of her black lace-lined bra.

Suddenly, everything felt too close.  
  
Too close and too hot.  
  
His mind froze, his breathing quickened, his skin prickled, and his stomach roiled with a sudden nervousness, almost to the point of nausea.

He needed space.

"It's fine," he said a little more roughly than intended. He saw the small flicker of hurt in her eyes as he gently pushed her hand away.

Right now, he didn't care, as he moved past her through the crowd to the kitchen, to grab another much-needed drink.

He dried the rest of what had been spilled on his shirt with the stray napkin he'd found on his way over to the 'bar'. Stuff was just sitting near a pile of coolers, taking money from anyone who wanted a drink.  
  
She saw him and gave a questioning raised brow.  
  
"Got spilled on," he said as he thumbed towards the crowd of dancers.  
He handed her a dollar and she gave it to him, refusing to take his money.

She waved it away again and said, "Friends always drink for free."

He put his money away, feeling a slight happiness towards being called a friend.

And the new beer.  
  
After he found a good vantage point, he leaned back against the wall and watched the party.

Like he had originally intended.

He scanned the crowd, enjoying watching everyone from afar.  
He found that every person became their true selves when they thought no one was watching.  
And he liked to sort out anyone who was going to cause him the most trouble.

He watched for a good song or two, but then he noticed when his gaze kept getting pulled back towards Marianne. Always back towards her.

What was it about her that pulled at his attention?

The next song was more upbeat and, as Bog would hate to admit, lyrically sexual. He kept his focused gaze on her and ignored the music.

Despite the cheerful environment, Marianne's dancing became more wistful, with forlorn glances and longing outstretched arms.

Despite dancing with her sister and friends, she danced as if she were alone and lonely.

He remembered the time he had found her crying in their room. How kindred he felt to her at that moment.  
He knew. He understood what it was like.

Maybe that was why he was drawn to her?

Because they were so similar?

In her absentminded searching, her eyes made contact with his and they both froze.

He stared like an idiot as he became caught in the wildfire that lingered in her eyes. The wildness in her soul.

Then he understood.

She was afraid.  
Afraid to express her true self.

He forced his gaze to the floor as his stomach began to roil and burn.  
Clutching his stomach, he swore at himself for not eating before drinking.

He checked his drink, saw he had only drunken half, and ruled out that he wasn't overly drunk.

So, maybe he was getting sick?

He looked back towards the crowd and felt the unease in his stomach twist his gut again.  
Chugging down the last of his drink, threw it away, and walked towards the door.

Forget drinking.

He needed a cigarette.

***  
After Marianne had locked eyes with Bog across the room, she turned away as she felt... weird. In that shared moment, it felt like Bog had stared into her soul.  
It gave her goosebumps that she tried to rub away.

When she looked back again, Bog had disappeared.

She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

Dawn had stopped after a twirl to give her a concerned look.  
"You okay?" she said.

Marianne gave a slim smile and an, "I'm fine."  
  
She knew her sister knew better, so Marianne came up with a quick excuse.  
  
"Just... need to get something to drink. I'll be right back," she said and hurried away.  
And that seemed enough to placate her sister to go back to dancing with Violet and Sunny.

Mostly just Sunny.

Marianne pushed through the crowd, thinking that maybe a drink was really all she needed. Until a very familiar blond, that she had almost completely forgotten about, grabbed ahold of her arm and spun her towards him.

A sense of fear and dread sunk heavy into her gut as Roland gave her a sleazy smile that made her skin crawl even more.

"Hey there, cutie!" Roland drawled. "Wanna dance?"

Marianne snapped her arm back and said nothing as she quickened her pace towards the exit, ignoring the calls behind her.

"C'mon Buttercup," she heard behind her, "I said I was sorry."

She continued walking out the door with a sickening mix of fear and anger boiling in her gut.  
Each step forward brought a new wave of past hurts and memories flashing before her mind's eye as Roland continued to 'apologize'.

It wasn't until he pleaded, "Can't you forgive me?" that she sharply turned on her heel to finally face him.

She glared at this idolized asshole with so much heated anger that she hoped his hair would catch in fire.

"You really expect me to forgive you after you _cheated on me?!_ " She snapped.

Roland flinched, then looked offended, but Marianne could see through his tricks.

"It was just a little _college experimenting_ ," he excused with a lopsided smirk. "I didn't _mean_ anything by it!"

He then gestured towards her outfit and makeup.  
"I mean, look at you!" He added. "We're both trying new things."

Marianne had to blink for a second to process that she had heard him correctly.  
"This isn't a _phase_ ," she said with held back anger boiling in her gut. "And I don't think yours is either."

She saw the very real fear in his eyes behind the mocked hurt he displayed as he went down on one knee, giving a dramatic flair as he clutched at his heart saying, "Life hasn't been the same since you left."

She gave a small smirk.  
"I'm sure it hasn't," she said and walked away without looking back.

Her movement was stopped as her wrist was grabbed and she was tugged back to face him.

"You're the only one who has my heart," Roland added, but she could tell by the increased fear in his eyes that he was grasping at straws.

He ended with a twirl of his lock of hair and pouting for good measure.  
"Please come back?" he practically begged.

Marianne tugged her hand back, disgusted by how fake everything was. She wondered how she ever fell for such a sleazeball.

Did he really think she would fall for the same tricks?

She simply turned and walked away. No further waste of words were needed on a person who didn't listen to them.

"C'mon, Marianne." She heard him call out. "Don't leave me hanging!"

She heard the heavy footfalls of Roland behind her and Marianne wanted to run. But she didn't want Roland to see her fear.  
Her heart hammered in her chest at the thought of him catching up to her. Of what he could possibly do next to try to get his way.

She pressed on in quiet frustration. Her pace quickened, her lips hardening to a firm line, and her right hand comfortingly gripped with the small switchblade in her pocket.

She just wanted him to leave her alone.  
_Forever._

She was so focused on getting away from Roland that she had failed to notice Bog as he exited the smoker's gazebo.

She collided into him a little roughly, landing with her hands on his chest. She quickly retracted her hands. Hiding her hands behind her back, and her blade into her back pocket.

He looked down at her with a very concerned look.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

For a moment Marianne lost her voice, trapped in the memory of those blue eyes staring at her from across the dancefloor.  
"Um, yeah. I'm fine!" Her voice cracked with a rising panic. "Perfectly fine," she said as she slowly backed away towards the dorms.

The sound of footfalls catching up behind her leadened her stomach with dread.

"There you are Buttercup!" Roland said and Marianne cringed when she heard that dreaded nickname.

Sighing an exasperated sigh, she squared her shoulders and turned around to face him.

However, Bog was already stepping around Marianne to block Roland from herself.

"S'cuse me," Roland said, as he attempted walking around Bog. "I need to have a chat with my _fiancee._ "

Bog simply stepped further in his way, blocking any and all attempts to get to Marianne.

"I think you should take the hint and leave," Bog said in a dark tone that sent shivers up Marianne's spine.

Marianne watched as Roland then sized Bog up. Then, giving her a cocky grin, thumbing towards Bog and said, "Don't tell me you traded me in for this ugly loser?"

She watched as Bog smirked darkly, cracking his knuckles and neck before responding.

"Whether she did or didn't," he said, shifting into a fighting stance ever so slightly, "I think this _ugly loser_  can damage that face of yours pretty easily."

Roland flinched backwards, holding his hands up in surrender and protection.  
"Hey now," he said, taking a tentative step back. "Let's not be so hasty! Can't we talk about this like adults?"

Bog advanced one step, and Marianne could have sworn she saw him breakout into a full smile.  
"Oh, I think you've done enough talking," he said, then offered a fist. "Unless you'd like to talk to my fist?"

She watched with morbid glee as Roland paled as he stuttered, stumbling backward, and not saying another word as he turned and ran out of the area.

Bog then turned back towards her with a pleased lopsided smile, almost as if he enjoyed the idea of getting into a fight.

How rare, she thought as she looked, to see him smile so genuinely. Like she was given a rare gift in those few seconds.

Her heart and stomach began to flutter oddly and she internally waved those feelings away.

"You okay?" he asked and she almost didn't hear it.

"Y-Yeah," she said, letting out a shaky exhale, hugging herself in unconscious comfort. "I think the adrenaline is starting to kick in."

Her heartbeat spiked when he wrapped a warm arm around her shoulder, guiding her back towards the party.

"Here. Let's get you a drink," he said. "My treat."

As she leaned into Bog's warm embrace, Marianne affirmed again in her head that the increasingly warm and tingly feelings were just adrenaline.  
  
_Not love._

***  
After what felt like the hundredth song or so, Dawn decided she had done enough dancing.  
For now.  
Everyone else seemed to be thinking the same thing as she seemed to be one of the last few left on the dance floor.

She glanced around to find Sunny sitting at a table with Violet. Imp, who seemed to be taking a break from the DJ booth, was also sitting nearby.

When she sat down between Sunny and Imp, she saw that Sunny and Violet were intensely focused on a card game.

"What ya doin?" She asked Sunny as she rested her head on his shoulder and looked at his hand.

Sunny rotated a few cards on the table, then placed a card down in front of those.  
"I'm winning with my awesome fairy and elven deck," he said as he glanced over to her with a pleased smirk.

Violet discarded a card, then drew a card. She also rotated a few cards and placed three cards down.  
"Last _I_ checked," she said while placing the last card down with a smirk, "my goblin army was annihilating your Archdruid."

Dawn tried to bite back her smile as Sunny's face then turned disappointed as he discarded the said card.  
"Not my Archdruid. Damn it."

Dawn smiled and nodded respectfully as she leaned back and away.

She wasn't one for nerdy games.  
Even if the artwork was kind of pretty.

She glanced at Imp who was playing some handheld video game and she inwardly sighed.  
Maybe her sister was doing something fun since she didn't come back after getting a drink.

She glanced around to find Marianne being a wallflower near the kitchen.  
But then she saw Bog walk over to her, with a drink for each of them.

 _Interesting_ , she thought, as she split into an elated smile and she propped her head up with her arms.

"You know," Dawn mused idly and loudly for the others to hear as she continued to watch the two with glee, "I think Marianne and Bog would make a good couple."

The others, now curious each in their own way, looked to Dawn. She nodded her head towards their direction.

At this point, Bog and Marianne seemed to be deep in conversation as everyone watched them from afar.

Something Bog had said made Marianne crack a playful smile and punch his arm. Bog feigned hurt, rubbing at his shoulder, all with a lopsided smile of his own.

She then leaned back against the wall next to Bog. Inching herself a little closer so they were almost touching shoulder to shoulder. Her fingers toying with some strands of hair that fell past her ear as she awkwardly glanced down and away.

And Bog was glancing at her every now and again when she wasn't looking.

Sunny, who had known Bog and Marianne a little more than the other two, then nodded.  
"I think I see what you mean, yeah," he said.

There was a nudge on Sunny's shoulder and Imp made a few hand signs.  
_'Wanna make a bet?'_

Sunny gave his friend an incredulous look.  
"Man, you know I ain't good at those things," he said.

Imp just snickered and said, 'I know.'

"Not good at what?" Dawn asked, quirking her head back towards the two.

Sunny smirked and nodded towards Imp.  
"Imp wants to make a bet."

Dawn's eyes widened, almost comically so, towards him. Her overly excited smile made him feel a little uneasy.

"Oh my god, Yas!" she practically squealed. "We should bet on when Marianne and Bog will hook up!"

Sunny looked to her questioningly.  
"You really think they'll bang?"

Dawn confidently tilted her chin up.  
"Oh, I've got a pretty good feeling they will. It's more a question of _when._ "

Sunny's brow furrowed in thought.  
"But how will we know if they did or didn't?"

Dawn smirked with a wink, "Oh, I've got my ways..." she said.

"Betting on someone's intimate lives seems a little morally wrong," Violet said as she shuffled her deck.  
"Are we going back to playing?" She then asked Sunny.

"Oh, yeah," he said as he turned back towards the table and shuffled his own deck. "One sec..."

Dawn rolled her eyes and gave Violet a smirk.  
"They're not gonna know," she said as she sidled up next to Violet. Wrapping a reassuring arm around her friend. "It'll just be between us," she said.

When Violet didn't say anything, Dawn nudged her and said, "Don't you wanna make a little money? I'm sure it'll help pay for snacks or maybe even your student loans?"

Violet squirmed under Dawn's intensity but then gave in.  
"I suppose I could use the money towards something for myself," she said and began another game with Sunny.

Dawn then focused her attention on Sunny.  
"What about you," she asked with a hint of mischief. "Are you in?"

Sunny glanced around as everyone stared at him. He shrank a little as he felt pressured.

"I'm not the best when it comes to betting," he tried to dissuade. "I usually lose."

 _'We could team up,'_ Imp suggested and Sunny hung his head and sighed in defeat.

"Man, why do you always have to be so convincing?" he said.

Imp snickered with a wide toothy smile.  
Dawn smile broadened as well.

Violet looked to be in thought with a slight frown.  
"What if they don't end up together?" She said.

Dawn's smile slightly deflated.  
"Then we split the winnings evenly," she simply stated and folded her hands on her knees.

"I want in," a baritone voice said behind her and Dawn yelped.  
She spun around to see a very plump punk woman grin at her.

Or at least it _looked_ like a woman.

"Dawn, this is Stephanie," Sunny introduced.

Stephanie waved and said, "Call me Stuff."

Dawn frowned slightly.  
"Why's that?" She asked.

"Originally," Stuff said with a grin, "It was because I love double-stuffed Oreos. But, hey, who doesn't want some of this 'Stuff'?"

She then provocatively gesturing to her body which made Dawn blush and Imp giggle.

"Where's Thang?" Sunny then asked.

"Couldn't make it," she said. "Trying to finish an essay and study for his mid-terms."

"Aren't mid-terms, like, about a month away?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah," Stuff said with a slight grimace, "You can tell him that."  
She then popped opened her can of beer and got comfy between Imp and Sunny.

"So," she asked as she settled between the cushions, "what are we betting on?"

"Whether or not Bog and Marianne are going to get together," Sunny said.

Stuff's eyes widened along with her smile.  
"Ooh, now _that's_ something I'm sure will happen. Here's five bucks. Who am I handing this to?"

"No, no," Dawn corrected Sunny with a wag of her finger. " _When_  they'll hook-up."

Stuff shrugged and said, "Either way, I'm in. Any specific rules?"

Then everyone looked to Imp.

Imp, who had done this thing _way_ too many times to count, pondered for a minute before deciding on a few 'fun' rules.

He signed to Sunny, who then interpreted.  
"'Place bets at the beginning of the month. No intervening to get yourself to win'."

Dawn leaned forward with a slight questioning frown.  
"So, like, no interrupting if they're together sort of thing?" Dawn asked.

"'Right'," Sunny answered, then added. "'Or sending fake love letters and such,'"

Dawn's frown turned into a pout.  
"But, that's no fun," she said.

"We should have some type of group chat." Stuff suggested, "Keep everyone informed."

Dawn excitedly turned to Imp with glee.  
"Oh! Could we maybe, _conveniently_ , place them together in public situations?"

Imp cackled a strange raspy laugh.  
_'I like her,'_ he signed to Sunny.  
"I knew you two would hit it off," he replied.

Dawn quirked her head towards the two.  
"What'd he say?" she asked.

Sunny grinned then said, "He said he likes your idea."  
Imp gave Sunny a sour look and then signed, _'That's not what I said!'_  
Sunny smirked.  
"Maybe you should get a different interpreter."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as much as the last!  
> Comments and Kudos because I feed off of the love!


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